Deep rugby squad takes double victory at Louisiana State

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by Erica Levine

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"We're definitely very encouraged by what we did this past weekend," said junior Antroy Arreola.

"When we faced them in our season opener three years ago, they beat us pretty convincingly, so we were unsure what to expect going in," he added.

The first side pulled a 19-14 victory. The second side pulled through for a shutout 10-0.

"There was a lot of hustle from the new guys, particularly those playing first side," junior Jim Arteaga said. "That's a big part of what made it possible for us to win."

Several veterans also made crucial contributions.

Senior Dan Rosen came out of the back line to race 60 yards past LSU's defense and down the sideline.

Sophomore Shoney Katz was a standout on the second side's defense, and senior Tom Hong scored every point for that team. This victory was the second side's first against LSU in 20 years.

"We played well as a team, and on the whole, everything is looking pretty good," Arreola said. "But we've got some definite weaknesses we have to work on."

The Owls hope to improve the most in the front pack. They also want to focus on their conditioning.

"Probably, the most important thing for us right now is scrumming," junior Jason Miller said. "We also need to get in better condition, especially to play well in the heat and humidity. Considering all the room we have for improvement, we're surprised at how well we did."

The Owls did not escape totally unscathed, though.

"We had more than our share of bumps and bruises," Miller said. "There were plenty of black eyes and the like. But we came out of it in decent shape. We shouldn't be too handicapped for our next game."

That game is at Baylor University Sept. 18. The Bears are rookies this year in collegiate rugby.

Rice hopes to use them as a springboard to a stellar season and a three-peat as state champions.

"Hopefully, this game won't be too tough for us," Miller said. "Playing a rookie team shouldn't be too much of a challenge, but you never know what to expect."

"We'll smoke'em," Arteaga said. "They wear green. Enough said."

This item appeared in the Sports section of the September 10, 1993 issue.

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