Towson University rugby actually welcomes the tough times.

Having to battle Salisbury every year? Great. Losing to Salisbury by two in the conference final? Don’t like it, but OK. Straining every sinew to get past VMI in the play-in? Just what the doctor ordered.

No. 8 Pat McKenna knows.

“The VMI game was definitely a big test for us,” said McKenna, who spent that game scoring and setting up tries. “VMI had a big, strong, physical pack and they kept us on on our heels at times.  Our plan going in was to try and contain their forwards as much as possible and use our speed to get the ball out wide. I give VMI a lot of credit though ... even when it seemed like we taking the game in the second half they came back and made it close.”

McKenna’s job was to get past the VMI line and create chances for his teammates. He covered ground, true, but he also attracted a to of attention, and took that opportunity to offload to his support.

“In the past I haven't been that good at offloading and it's something that I have tried to focus on more this season,” said McKenna. “I was glad that I was able to create plays for my teammates.”

So Towson is now set to face Great Lakes champs Grand Valley State in this week’s DII Round of 16, and they have to be grateful that they have been in tough positions before.

“Having a team like Salisbury in our conference definitely has elevated our level of play over the years,” said McKenna. “There is a lot of emotion that goes into this rivalry...it was literally bred out of hatred.  If you got back a few years, Towson guys and Salisbury guys literally hated each other. I think now the rivalry has become a bit more professional. There's a greater level of respect between the two clubs. We know they're a good team and they know we are a legitimate threat, having beaten them a few times and having played them in some of their closest games in the past few years.  But the emotional element is still there every match we have with them.  We're ready to fight every time we step on the pitch with them.”

This week we recognize the value of having a rival by naming Pat McKenna our Aircraft Charter Solutions Player of the Week. McKenna is a central player to a very good team. He is unselfish, self-deprecating, and hard-working. Quick to give credit, he is exactly the kind of player who gains more out of a tough loss than from an easy victory.

We asked McKenna what his rugby plans were after college, and his response was telling. Yes he was thinking about what was best for himself as a player, but his answer was tinged with a sharing of the credit.

“I’m still focused on Towson Rugby, but once my days here are done I plan on playing for my boys right down the road with Baltimore Chesapeake RFC,” said McKenna. “A lot of the upperclassmen that were around when I was first starting out with Towson have gone on to play for B-C as well. The job they did elevating Towson Rugby and putting our program in the national hunt is nothing short of remarkable. I, along with the rest of the men currently with Towson Rugby, owe much of our success to the commitment to excellence they made five years ago.  It would be an honor to play with them again.”

Who wouldn’t love a player who can give an answer like that?

Pat McKenna is our Aircraft Charter Solutions Player of the Week.