Stony Brook Sees Similar Success in Bermuda
It is no surprise that Stony Brook University finished strong in the 2017 Ariel Re Bermuda 7s. Stony Brook University has participated in many URugby events such as the Bowl Series and the ACRC 7s but this trip will be one that they remember for a long time.
Besides the results of the games, players Rob Maloney and Jedediah Hendrixson reflected on the opportunity to be able to play rugby somewhere they have never been before. "The pitches at the Bermuda National Stadium were some of the nicest we've played on," said Jedediah Hendrixson. "The tournament was well run with beautiful fields," senior forward Rob Maloney added. They both commented on the perfection of the low cut grass and how easy it was to make quick moves on the pitch.
Stony Brook University took advantage of their experience in the Bermuda 7s tournament, competing in 2016, to complete their trip with a 4-2 record. Their tournament started with an easy win over Rowan University, 33 to 0. "We came out on fire and ready to run in our first game against Rowan in which we were firing on all cylinders," Rob Maloney said about their first match up. They would have continued success with a 31 to 5 victory over St. Joseph's Second Side. Their day would conclude in an exciting match against Iona College, but resulted in an upset 19 to 12 loss to the Gaels, giving Iona the #1 seed in the Pool results.
The second day of competition started off with a tough loss to a strong Kutztown University Second Side by a score of 19 to 17. After moving to the plate competition, another easy victory awaited the Seawolves as they defeated the West Chester Black Foxes by a score of 33 to nil. In the plate final, Stony Brook would get their revenge over Iona College where they come out victorious with a score of 12 to 7. "[It was a] Very physical game and we were proud of our grit to come out on top," Maloney said about their last victory of the tournament.
Besides the overall success of their trip and the opportunity to play in beautiful weather, Stony Brook also took full opportunity of the surrounding attractions during their free time. The team really enjoyed staying in the Warwick Camp barracks, bonding as a team. They also spent a lot of their free time hanging out in the coves by Horseshoe Beach and climbing the rock formations. Considering the barracks was only a five minute walk from many different attractions, they were able to see some of the most beautiful places on the island. The entire team also took a day trip to the zoo and aquarium which is more than just fun as their are several exhibits outlining the history of the island and the incredible array of wildlife both on land and underwater that the unique island of Bermuda provides.
Hendrixson concluded, "We enjoyed the tournament last year, even more this year, and look forward to having an even better experience next year."
