If Wheeling Jesuit is to make a move in the Rugby East, the Cardinals will need to log a strong result against Iona this weekend.

After being thumped pretty handily on their opener against Notre Dame College - a non-conference loss to the tune of 59-5 - WJU has picked things up with a close win over Mount St. Mary’s, and a solid result of Lindenwood-Belleville, before they opened their conference season with a win over St. Bonaventure.

New Coach Tom Duffy joined the team just before the Bonnies game, and was pleased with what he saw.

“First off all, I was just so impressed with what Allen Hanson and Peter Malcolm did to hold it all together,” said Duffy. “I knew they had talent, but then I saw the ability and speed of these guys. I think it was just a case of putting the loose ends together.”

Against St. Bonaventure, the WJU defense put pressure on their opponents and didn’t let them get any momentum. 

“I am proud of the way the guys stayed focused,” said Duffy. 

When he joined the team, Duffy asked the players to meet with him and discuss team and personal goals. Many of the players said they had high personal goals, and Duffy would then ask, “what are you willing to do to get there?”

As a full-time coach, Duffy has time to work with individual players, and he started almost immediately, taking extra time to work on specific skill sets for players.

“I am doing about four hours a day with players who want extra work,” he said. “And it is going to show. I didn’t know if the guys would respond to me or not, an they have.”

Against Bonnies, it was the experienced players - Malcolm with two trees and Hanson running the attack at flyhalf - who led the way. But prop Frank Rolf and No. 8 Andrew Waggoner were part of a serious forward effort. 

So now WJU has another challenge ahead of them as they play an Iona team that backs down from no one. The two will face off Friday night at the campus of Penn State University (essentially equidistant between the two schools). 

Also on the slate, Army visits St. Bonaventure also on Friday. On Saturday, Penn State hosts Delaware, West Virginia is at Kutztown, and Army plays at Buffalo.