WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Kutztown University men's rugby team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 24-17 at Army last Saturday afternoon in a Rugby East Conference game.
 
After winning in a season-opening exhibition game 23-22 over Doylestown Rugby Club, the next game against Virginia Tech was cancelled due to weather. After three weeks without a game, the Golden Bears (0-1 overall) understandably started slowly out of the gate.
 
The Black Knights opened the scoring with a penalty try. But Kutztown answered when it drove down the field and took advantage of an Army penalty as Thorne O'Connell (Johannesburg, South Africa/Jeppe) slotted a penalty kick at 33:10 for a 7-3 score in favor of Army. That would be the halftime score.
 
KU kept its momentum into the second half as Ryan Nolan (Drogheda, Ireland/Drogheda) ran through multiple Black Knights defenders on his way to a 40-yard try. O'Connell made the conversion and KU went ahead 10-7 at the 44:00 mark.
 
Army then scored twice in a row, failing on the second conversion attempt to take a 19-10 lead at 60:00.
 
Aaron Gray (Washington, D.C./Perry Street Prep) scored a try and O'Connell would add a conversion to cut the deficit to 19-17, but Army scored late in the 71st minute to go ahead 24-17.
 
KU would eventually get deep into Black Knights territory with seconds left, but the ball would be batted out of bounds near the try line as time expired.
 
Kutztown remains on the road for its next Rugby East game at Notre Dame College (OH) on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 12 p.m.