The New Paltz Men’s Rugby Football Club (NPRFC) kicked off their fall season on the road with a 74-31 victory over their National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) rival, Oneonta State.
Graduate prop Dean Devitis, fourth-year scrum-half Peter Randazzo, and fourth-year wing Saidul Alam each recorded hat-tricks for the Hawks, while third-year lock Tom Roy converted two tries. Randazzo commended the team’s performance in the season opener.
“Overall we performed rather well both defensively and offensively. We have some star players but need to work on being more well rounded on defensive alignment and calling plays,” Randazzo said.
NPRFC head coach James Fryer ‘16 also liked the Hawks’ opening game performance, as he noted the stamina of the team throughout the match and how it factored into the victory.
“For an opening game, it was a fantastic performance. It was clear we were the superior team as far as conditioning and structure from the warm up,” Fryer said. “As the game progressed, the Dragons exhausted as we strung high level possessions together.”
The next match for NPRFC is their home opener on Sunday, Sept. 17 against Monroe College. The matchup against Monroe looks to be a big test for the Hawks, as Fryer noted that the team has been “dreaming about this matchup all summer.”
“We look forward to the challenge, and understand it is a perfect chance to grow as a team,” Fryer said. “With the help of our home crowd and some hard work, the Hawks should remain undefeated.”
From the player’s standpoint, Randazzo understands the challenge of playing against Monroe, but is confident in earning a win in front of the home crowd.
“Monroe is hungry, organized and athletic, and we have to train our butts off to show the conference why we went undefeated last year,” Randazzo said. “I’m looking forward to proving to New Paltz the rugby team has some of the best athletes in the school. This Sunday will show that.”