The Queens University of Charlotte Royals came away with a hard-fought 26-12 victory over local rival Belmont Abbey on Friday night, delivering an impressive performance in front of a great crowd and an electric atmosphere.
From the opening whistle, the local derby lived up to the hype. Both teams came out with tremendous energy, trading possession and field position as two physical defenses battled through the opening 20 minutes. Neither side was willing to give an inch, setting the stage for a competitive night of rugby.
The Royals eventually broke through first after 20 minutes of play.
Zach Colson found the left corner to score the opening try after a beautiful offload from
John Steele, giving Queens the early lead.
Queens continued to apply pressure and found the try line again before halftime. This time, Colson turned provider, delivering a perfectly timed offload to captain Keenan Kemp. Kemp powered through and raced under the posts to score, with Colson adding the conversion to put the Royals ahead 12-3.
However, discipline continued to be an area of concern for Queens. Penalties allowed Belmont Abbey to stay within striking distance, and the visitors converted another penalty before halftime to cut the Royals' lead to 12-6 heading into the break.
The second half saw the match open up, with Belmont Abbey creating several opportunities inside the Royals' defensive territory. Queens' defense, however, remained composed and physical, repeatedly preventing Abbey from finding the try line.
Belmont Abbey continued to capitalize on Queens' penalties, converting another kick to bring the score to 12-9. Despite the pressure, the Royals remained committed to playing in the right areas of the field and continued to build momentum.
Eventually, that pressure paid off.
Jack Rice delivered a beautiful pass to winger Agustin, who found space and raced into the left corner for a crucial try. The score gave Queens some breathing room and shifted the momentum firmly back in the Royals' favor.
Queens would put the match out of reach late in the contest. Rice came up with another big play, sniping from the bottom of a ruck and breaking through to score under the posts. Colson added the conversion to extend the Royals' advantage to 26-9.
Belmont Abbey managed one final penalty conversion late in the match, but it was not enough to prevent Queens from securing the 26-12 victory.
With the win, the Royals improve to 2-1 in Atlantic Rugby Conference play and continue to build momentum as the season progresses.
Following the match, Head Coach
Tyree Reed emphasized the importance of continuing to grow as a team while learning from the mistakes that have surfaced throughout the season.
"I'm excited about the way this group continues to grow. We want to continue to stack wins, stack positives, and learn from our mistakes. There are areas we need to clean up, especially our discipline, but this team continues to show its character and fight."
The Royals will now enter a bye week, giving the team an opportunity to recover, reset, and prepare for its next challenge.
Queens will return to action in two weeks when the Royals travel to Florida to take on St. Thomas University.
The win over Belmont Abbey gives Queens another important conference victory and another opportunity to build on the foundation the team has established throughout the season.
