UMF men’s rugby wins state title for a fourth time

By Woody Hanstein
PORTLAND – On Saturday under poker-chip blue skies, the University of Maine at Farmington men’s rugby team captured the 2013 Maine Cup to once again lay claim to the title of the best college rugby team in the state.

The UMF men started the day by rucking their way to a thrilling 15-13 win against a larger, hard-running University of Maine Orono men’s team and then captured the title with a clinical seven-try 41-0 victory over the University of New England. Teams from Bowdoin and Colby each split their two matches, so as the only undefeated team on the day UMF headed home to Farmington with its fourth Maine Cup in the past six years.

The UMF men were led all day long by fly-half Mo Schultz, flanker Matt Bigelow and scrum-half Nick Ervin, all of whom were named to the tournament all-star team along with teammates Marco Servello and Madison Moody.

The key to the opening win over UMO was a committed defense that tackled anything that moved and featured a final three-minute defensive stand that repeatedly kept UMO out of the UMF try zone with what would have been the game’s winning score.

Against UNE the UMF men were able to play a more frothy, wide open, running style of rugby, much of that keyed by standout No. 8 Frank Makuch, prop Ryan Berthiaume and center Mark Garrido.

With the 2013 Maine Cup safely home once again in Farmington, the team now looks to end the season in next week’s always hotly contested alumni match which will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at UMF’s Prescott Field.