POUGHKEEPSKIE, NY (Nazathletics.com) Nazareth Rugby traveled to Poughkeepsie, NY over the weekend to compete at Marist University, cruising to a 50-15 victory. The Golden Flyers entered the matchup with a 1-1 record in the Liberty Rugby Conference. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Nazareth opened the scoring early with tries from two sophomores, Zakariah Zaddem and Kameron Walls. Zaddem's early score was the first of three tries for him on the day, completing the hat trick. 

The Red Foxes bounced back and scored 3 points of their own on a penalty kick (similar to a field goal in American football). Naz junior James Moore scored his first rugby try ever to cap the first half scoring for Naz. The Golden Flyers played a lot of defense in their own zone late in the first half and were able to stave off any more scoring from Marist. Nazareth senior and captain, Sal Hernandez, converted 1 of 3 tries to land the halftime score at 19-3.

Naz opened the second half with a beautiful team try on the opening kickoff. Several Golden Flyers passed the ball back and forth on the fast break and Naz big man James Moore finished the hustle play with the try (his second on the day and in his rugby career). 

That try boosted Nazareth's confidence in the game and the scores kept coming in the second half. Zaddem scored two more tries while Junior, Zayan Mohammed, continued to improve and make a big impact, scoring his first try with Nazareth. Nazareth senior Wyatt Kelley also scored his first try as a Golden Flyer. Marist stayed competitive and the match ended 50-15 in favor of Nazareth, marking another great day to be a Golden Flyer for Naz Rugby and Nazareth University. 

UP NEXT:
The win puts the team at 2-1 this fall season and was their first road match. The Golden Flyers are back at home this weekend against RPI. The match is scheduled to kick off Sunday, 10/4 at 1 p.m. on the Upper Field.