Monmouth Men battled a deep Jersey Shore roster on Saturday. Monmouth put the first points on the board after a back-and-forth 20 minutes. Superior athlete Nick Wallace had a 50+ meter break off a center scrum followed by a jaw-dropping Harrison Raby ruck that set up Monmouth to swing the ball to the opposite direction for a try by veteran Richie Cicalo. Deep in their own goal, Monmouth struggled to clear a kick, and the Sharks capitalized to make it 7-7 at halftime.
After going down 17-7, Monmouth battled back to 17-12 with a try by Vice Captain Kieran Walsh. After taking 3 Sharks off the pitch himself, Nick “York” Gajewski suffered a broken tibia and fibula. After having watched their defensive enforcer carted off the pitch, Monmouth rallied. Started off by a couple Super-Smash Power Star carries by Donny “the Trashman” Palmer, Monmouth built momentum and steadily drove down the pitch for a buzzer-beater try by flanker Rich McEown. The final score was a tie at 17-17.
Numbers Up
For the first time in years, Monmouth Men fielded a second side for a full 80 minute match. The second side, peppered with promising new talent, showed heart and grit and got some much needed live reps, particularly in the set pieces. This game was a step towards once again fielding two EGU teams.
Quantity x Time = Quality.
Scoring
Kieran Walsh – 7 points: 1 try, 1 conversion
Richie Cicalo – 5 points, 1 try
Rich McEown – 5 points, 1 try
*Having made the assists to both Cicalo and McEown, Walsh was directly involved in all 17 points on Saturday.
For the second side, Derek Brown scored a pick-5 from midfield, and the young Bailey Pridmore kicked the conversion for 2 points, his first for MRFC.
Health Updates
Nick “York” Gajewski underwent a successful surgery on Monday. Despite his pleas, the surgeons gave him a titanium rod instead of one made of vibranium.
Chris “Tito” Zeller received the results of an MRI for a knee injury incurred against NYPD. He suffered a torn ACL, torn MCL, and a fractured patella. An accomplished strongman and weight lifter, Tito looks forward to having a 500 pound bench before his return to the pitch.
Matt “Burnie” Milburn split his head on one of a handful of his sideline tackles on Saturday. Burnie required 7 stitches because “heads bleed a lot”, but was back at practice on Tuesday.
#10 Nick Wallace weaving between defenders. #8 Dillon Grascia creating space with a stiff arm.
Monmouth Day 2021 & Friends and Family Day
Due to scheduling conflicts, Monmouth Day—complete with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and all the bells and whistles—will be postponed until the Fall season.
Saturday May 22nd will be Friends and Family Day. The Club with host a larger-than-usual social gathering. We encourage Old Boys, Old Bats, friends, and families to come watch their favorite club and enjoy a bite, a beer, and each other’s company at Thompson Park and later at the Rover.
#15 Ben Kuhn ready and with advantage. #4 Ryan Greenwood taking on a second tackler.