After clinching the Rugby East Conference championship with their 34-29 defeat of Wheeling Jesuit, the West Point men’s rugby program has confirmed that it will face Goff Rugby Report #3 Life University November 22 in Charlotte, NC.

This game will be part o the ACRC Bowl Series, which will see 18 college teams face off in nine games over two days.

“We’re excited to be a part of this and we’re honored to share the field with West Point,” said Life University Director of Rugby Dan Payne. “We’ll be ready. All of our teams play the same pattern, so whether guys have been playing in our Elite Training Group or with our JVs, they have been running the same pattern. So now we’re got the undergraduate squad together it’s just a case of bring the individual personalities into it”

Life has not really played much as a university team this fall, as they concentrate on the Winter/Spring season to play as a unit. The Black Knights wrapped up a perfect 8-0 season Saturday, in a fall where they beat ranked opponents Penn State, Kutztown, Air Force, and Wheeling Jesuit.

“It’s great,” said Army Head Coach Mike Mahan. “We are thrilled to be successful in a conference as tough as ours, particularly with Penn State and Kutztown in there, they are always top teams. We are very lucky that we are able to represent them as we move forward.”

While Army has a longer history of rugby than does Life, Life has been varsity longer.

“I think Life is at a higher level of rugby,” added Mahan. “It is going to be a great experience. All year long I’ve been telling everyone how young our team is and now some of these freshmen and sophomores are going to get to see some really great rugby, I think that can do nothing but help us for the spring.”

Several of the leading players for Life, such as Paris Hollis, Jake McFadden, and Glen Maricelli, have been with the Life program since they started playing as a varsity undergraduate program.

“They are the ones that built this,” said Payne.

Several younger players have emerged in the last year or so, such as wing Harley Davidson, and scrumhalf Marcus Walsh.

For Army, seniors Collum Magee and Logan Pearce have led a larger underclassmen squad that has managed to pulled out a series of close wins - five of their eight victories were by less than a converted try. Players such as John Banarhall, Andrew Fargos, and David Huff have contributed greatly to Army’s undefeated fall.

This game will be looked at as a de-facto ACRC championship.