KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- It was a beautiful fall afternoon at Luckenbill Road and the Kutztown faithful were arriving to "Fill the Hill" !  Every Rugby East game is a fierce contest but the Golden Bears and the Bonnies always seem to step it up a notch when they play one another. The Bonnies, under the guidance of coach Tui Osborne, won the NCR National 15's Championship in 2021. They have defeated Kutztown in their last two outings. A close game at St. Bonaventure in 2021 and in the semi-finals of the NCR National 15's Championship Tournament. The Golden Bears 
are struggling a bit with injuries and have eight freshmen in today's squad. Four in the starting lineup and four in reserve. 
 
The Bonnies started the game strong and after only four minutes of play, took a line-out near the Kutztown try line and Mauled the ball over for their first try of the game.The two sides battled for the next twenty minutes when St. Bonaventure repeated with another line-out maul and they took the lead at 12-0. Kutztown was playing with a vengeance and scored on a try line maul of their own, when  scrum half, Aidan Smith (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) rolled off that maul with the ball and stretched across the try line for the Golden Bears. The conversion was wide and St. Bonaventure lead 12-5. At the seven minute mark, St. Bonaventure chose to attempt a massive penalty kick from almost halfway and it was good. St. Bonaventure, 15 KU 5. As the first half was winding down, the Golden Bears passed the ball wide to Logan Bachman (Kutztown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic). The big wing took the ball under his arm and headed down the sideline. He fought of several would be tacklers and raced forty yards to paydirt. Once again the Kutztown conversion was wide and the half soon ended with the score St. Bonaventure, 15 KU 10.  
 
At eleven minutes into the second half , St. Bonaventure scored with another penalty kick. St. Bonaventure 18 KU 10. The Golden Bears were fighting back and four minutes later found themselves camped on the Bonnies try line. Freshman Prop, Dennis Elrod (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) ran a "Pick and Go" to drive his way into the try zone. Once again the Kutztown conversion missed and the score was St. Bonaventure, 18 KU 15. 

The Bears hung tough but two late trys by the Bonnies put the game out of reach. The final score was St. Bonaventure, 38  KU 15. A valiant effort by the young Golden Bears but not enough to overtake the Bonnies this day.