West Point needed all of their patience and intensity to hold off Iona to win 16-5 Friday night in a Rugby East clash.

Both teams scored one try, but flyhalf Jon Kim's kicking was the difference, as he logged three penalties and a conversion.

Iona drew first blood, exploiting an Army penalty. Some good work by the Iona forwards - led by captain and flanker Jon Petteruti - powered them into the Army half, and a not-releasing-the-ballcarrier penalty allowed flyhalf Mike Marro to send a perfect kick to touch about ten meters from the West Point line.

Iona won the lineout and set up a fairly ragged maul, but an offload in tight set up Dylan Evans for the opening try and a 5-0 Iona lead five minutes in.

Army tried to put more pressure on the Gaels, but couldn't break through a a hard-hitting and aggressive Iona defense. Eventually, from a scrum Army worked it right and Iona was penalized for being offside, and Kim slotted the goal to make it 5-3.

That's how it remained for the rest of the half, until just before the break. Iona had a lineout at midfield, but won the ball loosely. The West Point forwards poured in, and almost setup a try for the backline. The Iona defense was there, and forced a knock-on, and it seemed the Gaels might get out of it. But three or four phases later Iona was still in their own 22. They set up a clearance kick, which was charged down, and hooker Ryan Moshak swooped in to pick up and go over. Kim converted, and at halftime Army led for the first time, 10-5.

The second half started with Iona center Santi Mascolo racing through the West Point line and almost breaking off a 75-meter try. But he was hauled down and (perhaps somewhat harshly) penalized for not releasing the ball. It was a big play. The two teams bashed into each other for much of the remaining 40-plus minutes. Army tried to get through the Iona defense, and Iona defended unflinchingly. Even shorthanded due to a yellow card, and pinned on their goal line, the Iona defenders didn't back down. The Gaels had their moments, and a chargedown late in the game almost produced a try, but in the hot, humid weather the ball was difficult to control. 

The Blacks Knights eventually worked enough continuity to force a penalty - not releasing the ballcarrier again - for a penalty, and then late in the ame they got another. Kim hit both to make it 16-5.

"I'm relieved," said Army Head Coach Matt Sherman. "Iona is so tenacious, so tough. We were pressing a little bit in the first half and while our defense was good we couldn't exit out of our own end. We had something like four kicks charged down. But we'll take the win."

"I feel good about the game and was really proud of the guys," said Iona captain Petteruti. "This is the way we play - we play hard defense and we hit hard. We know DI rugby is tough and you can't let up at any point. It was definitely a defensive game."

"Iona beat us last year and that was no fluke," added Sherman. "And how close this game was is no fluke, either. The Rugby East is tough every week."