CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Queens University of Charlotte men's rugby team won comfortably on Friday night, beating American International College 37-19 to advance to the NCR National Semifinals
 
SUMMARY
A cold evening at Dickson Field was the setting for the NCR National Quarterfinal matchup between the Royals and American International College (AIC). The first half started at a lightning-fast pace. Queens scored a try and conversion within the first few minutes, followed by a try by AIC to make the score 7-5. Then the Royals went on a 17-0 scoring run to lead 24-5. After a try and conversion by AIC at the end of the first half, Queens went into halftime with a 24-12 lead.

The second half began with an early try and conversion for AIC which cut the lead to five. From then on, the opposing team was unable to score for the rest of the match as Queens stood their ground defensively to ensure the win. The Royals were able to tack on 13 more points throughout the second half to win the match 37-19.
 
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Hilton Olivier was excellent with his conversions and penalty kicks, kicking a perfect 6/6 and scoring a total of 14 points for the Royals. Everette Boyd was also an explosive factor for the team, scoring a try in the match, and using his speed on the wing to switch the field position in Queens' favor on multiple occasions.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Next up for the Royals is an NCR National Playoff Semifinal match in Reading, Pennsylvania, at the Penn State Berks campus. Queens will face the winner of another match between Wheeling University and the University of Notre Dame. The match will be on Saturday, December 7, and will take place at 5 p.m. A win for Queens in the semifinals would advance the Royals to the National Championship Final in Houston, Texas.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals men's rugby team on Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics to stay updated on all the Royals sports teams in action by searching @QueensAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.