BYU Rugby and Lax News

Lacrosse beats Simon Fraser 16-8

2011-02-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

So - I have an article being edited for the Daily Universe but I wanted to get some stuff up online for those die hard Cougar lacrosse fans. Especially the ones who toughed out the snowy first half and the freezing cold second half to watch the Cougars run away with a 16-8 win over Simon Fraser from British Columbia.

Scoring recap (this is what I have in my notes - might not be perfect)
Cougars - Simon Fraser
First Quarter
1-0; 12:45 Shumway unassisted
1-1; 15 for SF
2-1; 4:26 Matheson unassisted
3-1; 3:20 Harding (assist Monteath)
3-2; 16 for SF
3-3; 18 for SF
Second Quarter
3-4; 22 for SF assist to 11
4-4; Harding (assist Monteath)
4-5; 19 for SF
5-5; 9:30 Monteath
6-5; Harding
7-5; 2:42 Matheson
7-6; 16 for SF
8-6; Mathay (assist Monteath)
(4 ties and 3 lead changes in the first half)
Third Quarter
9-6; Shumway
10-6; Matheson
11-6; Cole
12-6; 4:50 Monteath
12-7; 15 for SF
Fourth Quarter
13-7; Monteath (assist Cole)
14-7; Gunderson
14-8; 22 for SF
15-8; Gunderson
16-8; Monteath

BYU had a great offensive attack. As you can see Ted Ferrin didn't have much effect on the score but Simon Fraser had their best defender shutting him down which left guys like Monteath and Matheson in midfield to take the ball to the net and capitalize. Very balanced scoring game again for the Cougars.

I was able to get a couple of post-game interviews with some players and coach Schneck.

Interviews
Pat Matheson
What changed in the 2nd half?
We just turned it up. It was a cold game. Because of the snow I think we were a little slow to get off and going, but once we got the blood moving, once we got things flowing everyone started picking up, getting excited and we put it down their throats.
Did the snow effect the beginning of the game?
Yeah, it was hard to see, the ball gets all wet. When it got colder your pocket would freeze so it would make it hard to pick up the ball and throw and catch, but we were able to adjust our game as needed.

Coach Schneck
What changed there in the second half?
It helped that we were able to clear the field off, we were slipping and sliding a lot in the first half. Our guys, all year long, have had really good 3rd quarters and hopefully we can continue to do that. In the first half we were playing a lot of Simon Fraser's game instead of our own, that's what kept things close. As they started to focus in and do things that we normally do it started to pay off.
Your offense was scoring from all over the place today, what does that say about your offense?
Their number 36, he's their best defender and they put him on Ferrin and he did a great job defending him. We expect that that's going to happen throughout the year. They did a good job of shutting down Ted but then we had other weapons.
What are you looking forward to improve on?
We didn't really do a great job of being ready to play in the snow like this tonight.
Did Simon Fraser's fatigue play a factor in this game?
Of course it does. But when you get to the end of the season you don't have the luxury of having days off. Having those types of opportunities to be able to play back-to-back is good for the team.

No. 4 BYU lacrosse takes on no. 10 Simon Fraser

2011-02-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

This article was published in The Daily Universe on February 25th, 2011.

By: Charles Krebs

No. 4 BYU lacrosse will test its undefeated record against its toughest competition yet in Provo on Saturday against the No. 10 Simon Fraser Clansmen.

Photo by Carolyn Carter. Andrew Harding (midfield) dodges a Boise State player at BYU's men's lacrosse game Saturday afternoon. BYU defeated Boise State 17-3.

Simon Fraser, a school from British Columbia, Canada, is an elite contender, coming off a final four appearance in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association championship tournament last season. BYU has won three of the last four meetings against the Clansmen. Last year the Cougars beat Simon Fraser in British Columbia 15-9.

The two teams will face off following a successful BYU road sweep of three games last weekend in California. Senior captain Brian Mathay said the team hopes to carry the weekend confidence into the game Saturday.

“The offense really clicked over the weekend and we’ll take what we can from last weekend and apply it to this game,” Mathay said. ”We’ll have the confidence and ability to get through the challenges that we’re going to face [on Saturday] because it’s going to be a challenging game.”

The Cougars will face a unique style of lacrosse from the Canadian team.

“One of the things that will make it interesting is that they play a different type of lacrosse than us,” said Pat Matheson, a sophomore from Holladay. “Lots of them play hockey in the winter and lacrosse in the spring. They’re used to playing in closer quarters, so their sticks are fast.”

The game will be at home for BYU, although coach Matt Schneck doesn’t see that as a huge advantage.

“It’s fun for us to be at home and to have our home crowd there,” Schneck said. “A lot of the kids get to play in front of their friends and family. But besides that I don’t think there is going to be much of an advantage. They practice early morning just like we do, they practice on turf just like we do. They practice in snow and based on the forecast they’re going to be coming into snow as well. This is a team that’s used to it.”

The Cougars are on limited practice after taking Wednesday to get caught up in classes, and have been practicing outside to get used to the potential adverse weather this weekend.

“I suspect that it’s going to be a very evenly matched game and it’s going to be a real fight,” Schneck said. “They have a great tradition with their team and we expect nothing but a very good game against them knowing that they’re going to bring their very best.”

The game will begin at 5 p.m. on the North University intramural fields this Saturday.

No. 2 Rugby to take on UVU

2011-02-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

This article was published on 25th February 2011 in The Daily Universe

No. 2 BYU rugby will take on crosstown rival UVU this Saturday in the first home game of the season.

UVU is a Division II rugby school, but even though they’re not in BYU’s tier of competition, the rivalry will intensify the atmosphere of the game.

“With any school that’s close by you play hard against them,” said wing Alex Hill, a junior from Farmington. “UVU will come out and play hard and tough. They probably have a gameplan and they’ll play to that. I think it will be a hard fought game.”

The coaches are telling the team not to get caught up in the emotion of the rivalry.

“Typically when we’ve played UVU emotions from both sides tend to get away from players,” said assistant coach Kimball Kjar. “[But] you gotta make sure that you execute, work hard and do all the little things that will end up being in the scoreline when the game is over.”

The Cougars are not concerned about the victory or even the score of this game according to Kjar.

“We’re concerned about playing at the proper level — executing correctly, making sure all our systems are in place and clicking on all cylinders. Making sure that everyone’s roles and responsibilities are understood,” Kjar said.

An important aspect of this game is the opportunity it will give BYU to fine tune its gameplan before heading to Rio Tinto stadium and playing no. 6 Utah in the Wasatch Cup next weekend.

“It’s the last game before our big game against Utah,” Kjar said. “We want to make sure that we get a good game. We want to make sure that our guys are prepared when they play against Utah.”

This game will provide a chance for some of the second team for BYU to play in a first team scenario and to gain in-game experience.

“As a team we’re looking forward to getting more experience, getting more fluidity with the personnel and with our plays. Any game, no matter who you play, helps you become better; whether you win by one hundred or lose by one hundred,” Hill said.

The game will cost $3 and will take place at the South Field at 2 p.m. Saturday.

BYU rugby ranked 2nd in latest poll

2011-02-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

The BYU rugby team stayed in 2nd for the season behind perennial powerhouse Cal. BYU will play UVU this weekend in Provo and Utah next weekend in the Wasatch Cup - make sure to check out their games.

Feb 21, 2011 RUGBYMag.com College Premier Rankings
1 (1) Cal 8-0 (15-0) Beat U. British Columbia 21-132 (2) BYU 5-0 64-0 over Penn State (9), 89-8 over Cal Poly (17) Feb 11-12
3 (3) Life University 5-0 Beat Navy (19) 32-174 (5) St. Mary's 6-0 (10-1) Beat U. British Columbia 34-19
5 (4) Arkansas State 2-0 (1-0) Beat Arkansas 78-56 (7) Utah 4-0 (7-2) Beat Penn State (9) 46-12 Feb. 11
7 (6) Army 0-08 (8) Dartmouth 7-0
9 (10) Central Washington 2-1 Beat Oregon 64-0 10 (9) Penn State 2-2 (3-3) Lost 64-0 to BYU (2), 46-12 to Utah (7) Feb. 11-12,
11 (11) Delaware 7-3 Beat Maryland 20-1012 (13) Arizona 5-1 Beat SDSU (12) 36-34
13 (12) San Diego State 1-2 Lost 36-34 to Arizona (13)14 (14) LSU 2-0 (3-0) Beat Mississippi State 49-7, beat New Orleans RFC 23-12
15 (15) Arizona State 1-1 Beat Claremont Colleges (29) 41-1216 (16) Kutztown
18 (19) Navy 0-1 Lost 32-17 to Life (3)19 (17) Cal Poly 3-1 Lost 89-8 to BYU (2)
19 (18) Texas A&M (1-1) Lost 44-10 to Dallas Harlequins20 (20) UCLA 4-2 Beat Claremont Colleges (29) 52-0
21 (21) Tennessee 7-0 (7-1) Beat Miami (OH) 48-2422 (25) Oklahoma 1-0 Beat Kansas State 53-12
23 (22) Colorado State 0-2 Lost to Colo. School of Mines, Northern Colorado24 (23) Colorado 1-1 (0-2) Lost 50-19 to Denver Barbarians
25 (24) Air Force 0-3 lost 90-0 to Cal (1) Feb 1226 (26) Wyoming 1-2 Lost 107-5 to Cal (1) Feb 11
27 (27) Notre Dame 3-1 (5-1)28 (28) Ohio State 1-0 (1-1) Lost 62-17 to Atlanta Renegades Feb. 12
29 (30) UC Davis 3-4 Played Sacramento Capitals club30 (29) Claremont Colleges 0-5 Lost 52-0 to UCLA (20)
31 (31) Rutgers

Jazz fans have mixed feelings about trade of Williams

2011-02-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

This article was published on 23rd February 2011 by http://sportsuniverse.byu.edu/?p=4015.

By Charles Krebs

The Utah Jazz traded two-time All-Star Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets in a franchise-changing deal on Wednesday.

Photo by Associated Press. Utah Jazz Deron Williams talks with the media after NBA basketball practice, Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, in Salt Lake City.

In exchange for Williams, the Nets handed over rookie forward Derrick Favors (6.3 ppg), who was picked third overall in the draft last year, and point guard Devin Harris (15.0 ppg), the 5th pick in the 2004 draft and a one-time All-Star.

The Jazz also received two first-round draft picks in the deal – one for 2011 from the Nets and one for 2012 from Golden State – along with $3 million.

Williams’ contract was set to expire at the end of the 2011-2012 season, with an option to stay one more year if he desired.

The Jazz lost Jerry Sloan, their 23-year head coach, two weeks ago and Williams faced criticism that he was part of Sloan’s decision to leave, although both deny the claims.

Jazz fans have mixed feelings about the loss of Williams, who has played for Utah since he was drafted third overall in 2005.

BYU sophomore Owen Hullinger, a resident of Roosevelt, was not pleased after hearing the news.

“That’s devastating to me. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the league. I don’t know how anyone could replace him for the Jazz,” Hullinger said. ”Now it’s almost like I don’t even know who’s on the Jazz anymore with Boozer gone too.”

Not all Jazz fans were disappointed; many were elated by the news.

“I think we got the better end of [the trade],” said senior Ryun Zobell from Orem. ”It gives [the Jazz] a better chance to rebuild in the right direction, with unselfish players.”

The Jazz are 0-3 since Jerry Sloan left and will be looking to improve with this trade. For many this was a trade the Jazz just couldn’t pass up.

“It’s a great trade,” said BYU graduate student Mike Rutkowski. “They weren’t going to resign Williams and any time you can get a good player, a guy drafted in the lottery and extra draft picks, then it’s a good trade.”

The Nets have the sixth-worst record in the NBA, enhancing the likelihood the Jazz will receive a lottery pick in this year’s draft. The Jazz are still in the hunt for the playoffs with the eighth-best record in the Western conference as of Wednesday afternoon.

No. 4 BYU lacrosse sweeps California road trip

2011-02-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

This article was published in The Daily Universe on the 23rd of February, 2011.

Three road wins in four days, including two over top-20 opponents in California, brought the lacrosse team back to Provo with a perfect 4-0 record.

On Friday, the Cougars handled No. 15 Loyola Marymount University 16-10. The next day BYU ran over the No. 19 Cal Bears, 15-6, then finished the weekend trip with a 15-1 win against Claremont on Monday.

According to captain Ted Ferrin, this is the first time the Cougars have come back undefeated from California since he’s been at BYU.

For Ferrin, the highlight of the weekend was the win against California on Saturday. The field was wet and sloppy and the rain kept coming but the Cougar defense led a staunch team effort to fuel the victory.

“Cal was the best game,” Ferrin said. “That was the game that defensively [the team] just played awesome.”

Coach Matt Schneck agreed.

“[The Bears] were definitely the toughest team of the three teams we played, and we executed extremely well,” Schneck said. “It was a rainy, muddy, sloppy field and we still did what we needed to do to execute.”

BYU has scored at least 15 points in every game this season, showcasing its offensive prowess. The offense for the Cougars has improved this season under the leadership of Ferrin, who scored 10 goals over the weekend and added 12 assists. Ferrin leads the MCLA in assists-per-game with four.

However, Ferrin insists the key to the offense isn’t him, it’s unselfish play from the whole team.

“Last year we had just as much talent as we have this year, but this year the one thing that really stands out is unselfishness,” Ferrin said. “When we pass it around like crazy it’s really hard for the defense to communicate enough to guard us. Everyone on the team decided that they didn’t care about their statistics. We had so many times this weekend where a player made the extra pass.”

Another top-10 match will take place this week as No. 4 BYU takes on No. 10 Simon Fraser Saturday at 5 p.m. on the intermural north field.

Photos courtesy of William Nixon

BYU hands it to LMU; wins 16-10

2011-02-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

BYU (No. 6) beat Loyola Marymount (No. 15) 16-10 yesterday in a rainy and wet match in Los Angeles.

The weather might have been sloppy but the Cougars definitely were not. They showed their strength and came out on top of a tough LMU team.

"LMU is definitely a good team with good coaching and some talented players. I think they're going to have a good season. I think that we just had a really good game yesterday. It's the type of game that you hope you can have every time you play," Schneck said.

The Cougars didn't wait to jump ahead with a 5-1 first quarter. They added two more scores in the second as LMU adjusted their defense. It was just too hard to stop all of BYU's scoring threats with seven of eight first half goals coming from different players.

In the third BYU scored seven goals (almost matching their first half total) and took a 15-4 lead to put LMU away before heading into the fourth with their second team.

The second team allowed a six goal run in the fourth and scored once to move the final score to 16-10.

"Going into the fourth quarter we had a 15-4 lead. [The first team] had done everything we asked them to do. Offense was doing great, defense was doing great and face-offs were great. As a coaching staff we took that opportunity to get some of the younger guys an opportunity to play in the 4th," Schneck said.

He said it wasn't fair to the younger players to have to go in cold and wet after sitting on the sidelines for three quarters, but that is the nature of the game. He was glad to have them tested in a realistic game-time situation.

"We have to get to the point where we can feel confident playing that younger group of guys so that we can use them in important and critical times of games," Schneck said.

11 different players scored for the Cougars. The stats have yet to be released for the game.

They play Cal today in what promises to be a very difficult game in another rainy and wet situation.

"We expect that the game against Cal is going to be an even tougher game than yesterday, based on what Cal has done against other teams," Schneck said.

Cal beat a strong Oregon team earlier in the season (Oregon was No. 7) and has proved that they are a legitimate contender in the MCLA this year.

"We are fully expecting that this is going to be a fight today, it's going to be a very tough game," Schneck said.

1st half update on BYU/LMU lax game

2011-02-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

BYU has started out well in a wet game. BYU played a great first quarter taking a fast 5-1 lead and then slowed down in the second only scoring three times. They have the halftime lead 8-3. The first seven goals came from different players. BYU couldn't capitalize on a man-up situation late in the second but held the lead into halftime.

1) Gunderson
2) Shumway
3) Ferrin
4) Matheson
5) Walker
End of 1st
6) Houghton
7) Cole
8) Houghton

Check back for more in depth stats and analysis after the game.

BYU v. Loyola Marymount lacrosse preview

2011-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

Today's game against Loyola Marymount is not only the Cougars' first road game but it is their first real test of the season.

Loyola Marymount is ranked 15th in the nation (MCLA) and will give the Cougars a run for their money. You know a No. 6 v. No. 15 match-up in basketball would warrant the game prime time on ESPN, but because it is Lacrosse the hype isn't quite the same.

The ranking might be a good basis for us as fans to go off of, but we have to remember that these are just preseason rankings for the most part. Loyola's only win has come against San Diego State which was an expected win, just as the Cougars win over Boise St. was not a surprise. So neither of these teams have faced top competition this season which means the pollsters don't really know where they fit in.

While interviewing coach Schneck he was kind enough to discuss with me the flaws related to pre-season rankings. I mean take Oregon for example. They were no. 7 pre-season, right behind BYU. After their loss against Cal (who BYU plays on Saturday) they dropped completely out of the rankings from 7th to unranked in a week.

"I think that the preseason polls are just that, preseason. You never know who actually is going to be coming out onto the field," Schneck said.

Coach and I talked a lot about home field advantage in Lacrosse and how it will effect this team.

"I think the advantage to home field in lacrosse is two different things. Number one, typically home field advantage allows you to have practice on your playing field. What you practice on becomes an advantage for you. The second thing is understanding how to travel with your team. When you are waking up and you are playing at your home field you have a schedule that you follow [and] that you're used to. There is certainly an advantage because the home team doesn't have to worry about those things."

But he is confident that the team is a good travel team and they always have been. There are many reasons why the team travels.

"We want to play the best competition and traveling does that," Schneck said.

I am excited to see how attackman Ted Ferrin does this weekend. He lit up Boise St. with four goals and four assists and seems to be taking control of the Cougar offense as a junior. I talked with him on the phone in preparing my article for the Daily Universe so I thought I'd share a little about what he's thinking going into today.

"Both of them [LMU and Cal] have a good defensive unit. All three of the attackmen are prepared for them and regardless of who guards them we'll be prepared for it," Ferrin said.

When asked about the competition and what the team wanted to get out of the week this is how Ferrin responded.

"First and foremost we wanna come out with three good wins. Cal is coming off a really big win and has proven to be one of the better teams in our league this year. We'd like to come out and make a statement. BYU has always been good and we're going to continue to fight for that tradition and come out strong," Ferrin said.

Check out the match-up info on the MCLA website here at http://mcla.us/scores/games/9526/.

I am going to be posting a recap of the game as soon as I find out how it went down, so make sure to check back here frequently for updates on all your BYU Lacrosse needs. If you want something more from this blog just let me know!

Wasatch Cup is coming! (press release about their sponsors)

2011-02-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

You have to be kidding me. I just read that the Utah v. BYU rugby match last year at Rio Tinto stadium had over 7,500 people in attendance, that's amazing. I am so excited to be there and to cover the action with a press pass! This game will be for the Wasatch Cup and it's a bitter rivalry.

With a little more than two weeks until the game (don't forget about the UVU game in between there), the Wasatch Cup has announced this years sponsors - Zions Bank, Utah National Guard and Humless.

To find out more read the press release pasted below - but get your tickets because it's going to be an intense rugby match from start to finish.

Sandy, UT—With just more than two weeks to go before the country’s biggest college rugby rivalry between BYU and Utah, Wasatch Cup Rugby, LLC announced today the event’s corporate sponsors that will work as marketing partners for the this year’s Wasatch Cup on March 5th.

Corporate Partners for the 2011 Wasatch Cup include Zions Bank, the Utah National Guard and Humless.

Each corporate partner for the 2011 Wasatch Cup will have event and digital marketing rights to boosters and fans from both the University of Utah and BYU rugby program.

The support of these companies shows the growing interest in the Wasatch Cup and rugby in general as an avenue for connecting with new markets.

“We are very excited to have all our corporate partners for this year’s Wasatch Cup,” said event organizer Kimball Kjar, “They each see an opportunity to support an emerging sport like rugby and there’s no better event to do that at in the country than at the Wasatch Cup.”

The Wasatch Cup, which is widely regarded as “College Rugby’s Rivalry,” features two of the country’s top rugby programs in Utah and BYU.

While both programs are perennially ranked in the top five teams in the country and are known for their exciting brands of rugby, it’s the rivalry between the two schools that makes this event a must see for any sports fan.

“There’s an increased intensity that comes when we play BYU,” said Utah head coach Blake Burdette, “This is a rivalry game against one of the best teams around, so you have to play your best if you want to have a chance to win.”

BYU assistant coach Wayne Tarawhiti shared similar sentiment.

“We respect Utah and their program a lot,” he said, “But we know it’s all business come the Wasatch Cup, because you just can’t lose to your rival.”

BYU vs. Utah games consistently boast some of the largest crowds in the modern collegiate game.

BYU beat Utah in 2009 in front of a packed house at South Field and a record crowd of over 3,500 people. And in 2010 the Utes downed the Cougars in front of over 7,500 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

This year’s Wasatch Cup is slated for March 5th at 4pm inside Rio Tinto Stadium and it’s estimated that a new attendance record will be set for this year’s rivalry bout.

“Ticket sales are already up from this time last year,” said Kjar, “We expect a Rio Tinto Stadium to be packed with lots of BYU, Utah and lots of rugby fans in general.”

Prices for tickets are $12 for adults, $8 students and $5 for children under 12. Children under 2 are free. To reserve your tickets go to www.wasatchcup.com.

MORE ON ZIONS BANK
Zions Bank is Utah’s oldest financial institution and is the only local bank with a statewide distribution of branches, operating 106 full-service offices in Utah. Zions Bank also operates 26 full-service branches in Idaho. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending and has ranked as the No. 1 lender of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans in Utah for the past 17 years and Idaho’s Boise District for the past nine years. Founded in 1873, Zions bank has been serving the communities of the Intermountain West for more than 135 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com.

MORE ON THE UTAH NATIONAL GUARD
The Army National Guard (ARNG) is one branch of the Army (which consists of the Active Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.) The Army National Guard is composed primarily citizens who have civilian jobs or are full-time students s who serve in the military on a part-time basis. For more information go to: http://www.ut.ngb.army.mil/html/

MORE ON HUMLESS
Humless generators are silent and super quiet because they don't have an engine. You don't have to carry or store gas or produce dangerous emissions with our portable backup kit. We incorporate the lastest battery technology and our Humless solar powered generators can be charged by any electric source. Don't buy a battery generator with any other battery technology. The Humless batteries are half the weight, hold a charge for years, can be charged thousands of times and our backup kit is safe for the landfill! Go to www.humless.com for information.

BYU Rugby camp

2011-02-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

The rugby team just published a press release about their summer rugby camp that will be coming up this year. This will be the first one ever. I hope to get more information about it coming to you all soon.

Here's the press release.

Provo, UT–The BYU Rugby program today announced that BYU will hold the first ever Rugby Sports Camp this summer from June 13th-16th.

The addition of Rugby to the BYU Sports Camp program has long been a goal of BYU head coach David Smyth and his staff and shows the growing support of rugby in Utah and the USA as an emerging sport among the high school and youth age groups.

“We’re very excited to have the support of BYU Sports Camps,” said Smyth, “This is something that we’ve been in discussions for a few years now and we’re glad to finally offer the BYU Rugby Camp experience for players all around the country.”

The goal of the BYU Rugby Sports Camp is to offer the skills and knowledge for all participants in order for them to be the best rugby player that they can possibly be.

The camp which runs in early June will be at perfect time for high school and youth players who are just finishing their respective rugby seasons and right after most schools finish their calendar year.

Over the four day camp participants will work with Smyth, his staff, current and former BYU rugby players as well as select top-level professional guest coaches.

The camp curriculum will include elite field and classroom sessions and will be built around appropriate age and skill levels. The entire curriculum will be geared towards expanding and deepening a player’s level of rugby acumen and skill no matter the age or experience level.

Campers will also have the chance to learn about rugby specific strength and conditioning and nutrition by working with BYU’s strength and conditioning coaches. And rounding out the scholastic portion of the curriculum will be the chance to learn about being a strong student-athlete with BYU’s academic advisement office.

The Rugby Sports Camp experience will also include fun and exciting on-campus recreation and events for all overnight participants. The option of being a day-camp-only participant is available as well.

All participants will receive a BYU Rugby ball and a Canterbury of New Zealand Team Jersey, just like the ones the team wears.

The camp is open to young men ages 13-18.

For more information, including prices, housing, meal plans, what to bring and other registration details please CLICK HERE. Please feel free to contact BYU head coach David Smyth with further questions: david_smyth@byu.edu or 801-422-3984.

Tickets price set for rugby; BYU vs. UVU - $3

2011-02-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

So - the men's rugby team will play UVU in about ten days. That is the last game before the will meet with rival Utah in the competition for the Wasatch Cup.

This final warm-up for BYU will be a great first chance for BYU students to see their 2011 rugby team. It is bound to be an exciting game with lots of scoring (since BYU's first team hasn't scored under 60 points this season).

I'm also excited to see the competition that UVU brings to the field. Utah attracts a lot of great rugby players from all over the world and it'll be interesting to see how UVU matches up against powerhouse BYU.

I will be interviewing BYU players and coaches leading up to the game. Check back regularly to see updates and coverage on the game.

Lacrosse heads to California for season’s first road trip

2011-02-16T22:28:00.001-08:00

This article was published in the BYU Daily Universe on February 17th, 2011.

Sixty-degree forecasts beckon the BYU lacrosse team to southern California this weekend against three tough opponents for the first road trip of the season.

The Cougars stayed the same in the polls at No. 6 after their 17-3 thrashing of Boise State two weeks ago. They will get to test their strength and unity this weekend against two ranked opponents, Loyola Marymount (No. 15) and the Golden Bears of Cal (No. 12). They will finish the trip Monday against the Claremont Cougars.

BYU will face back-to-back tough games to start the weekend on Friday and Saturday.

The first game in Los Angeles will come against Loyola Marymount, which is 1-0 this season after a convincing 9-3 win against San Diego State.

On Saturday, the team will remain in Los Angeles to face the Golden Bears. Cal (1-1) is coming off a huge 10-2 win against Oregon, ranked No. 7 in the MCLA, right behind BYU, coming into the season.

BYU coach Matt Schneck does not expect any easy games this weekend, but he said he knows the team is ready.

“We’ve been working hard the last two weeks and I think we’re well prepared for the game[s],” Schneck said. “I think this is going to be a really good test for us. We’ve got back-to-back games against very good teams.”

Schneck said the team has high aspirations for the season and this weekend will show if those aspirations are realistic.

“It’s early in the season but it’s going to be a real point of evaluation for us to see what type of team we’ve put together,” Schneck said.

Junior captain Ted Ferrin, who led the team in scoring against Boise State with four goals and as many assists, said the strength of the team comes as the team buys in to the game plan.
Loya
“We’ve emphasized running what we do and just buying in to our system,” Ferrin said. “If we can play patient [and] smart then we’re not too worried about what anybody brings at us.”

A sloppy beginning to a new Jazz era

2011-02-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

This article was published on February 14th, 2011 in the BYU Daily Universe.

In their first game since Jerry Sloan departed the sideline, the Utah Jazz lost to the Phoenix Suns 95-83 on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

The loss was an ugly one for Jazz fans, one the team hopes doesn’t establish the pace of the rest of new coach Ty Corbin’s tenure with Utah.

The game featured two completely different halves, and the Jazz chose the second half to underperform.

Utah came out swinging in the first quarter, scoring 31 points and racing out to a 15-point lead with 9:40 left in the second. The Jazz went into the locker room with a 12-point lead and a chance to break out of their three-game home losing streak.

The team looked as if new life had been given to them with Corbin on the sideline. But the new life didn’t last long.

Instead, Utah ended up pushing that losing streak to four with a dismal second half, managing just 27 points after the break in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 20,000. The 52.3 percent shooting effort of the first half turned into 32.4 percent shooting in the second half, with the two teams nearly switching roles at halftime.

Corbin admitted that the first half might have been about the players trying to make him look good in his first game as a head coach. He summarized his first game as head coach in one word, “Frustrating.”

To fill in the shoes of a hall-of-famer who coached the Jazz for 23 years and won over 1,000 games was a tall order for Corbin. And being the head coach three days after being third in command presented quite the change in perspective for Corbin.

“It’s different, I mean, every call is on you. You feel more responsible for the way the guys are playing. Your sense of urgency is a little bit more because you’re in that first chair,” Corbin said. “I felt the need more tonight than as assistant coach of doing something or saying something to make something happen.”

Jazz point guard Deron Williams, who has taken a lot of the blame for Sloan’s departure, admitted he heard a couple of boos in his direction at the start of the game. However, he reconfirmed after the game that he had nothing to do with the hall-of-fame coach leaving mid-season.

“I love our fans, I don’t want them to think I ran a hall-of-fame coach out,” Williams said. “I can’t get caught up in that anymore. I’ve said what I had to say. Coach Sloan said what he had to say. [Jazz owner] Greg Miller said what he had to say. [The fans] can choose who they want to believe.”

Utah played Friday’s game without any practices under its new coach and will have three days of rest to work with Corbin. The Jazz will look for revenge in Phoenix on Tuesday in their next game.

Jazz coach Sloan resigns

2011-02-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

This article was published on February 10th, 2011.

SALT LAKE CITY — Jerry Sloan, the 23-year head coach of the Utah Jazz, shocked the Jazz organization and fan base Thursday by resigning, along with 18-year assistant coach Phil Johnson.

Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will take over as head coach of the Jazz.

Emotions ran high for Sloan as the Jazz announced his resignation in a press conference Thursday.

The speculations will still run wild all over Utah and the NBA as to why Sloan decided to leave so abruptly. But to him, it is a simple matter.

“I made the decision, like I said many times — when it’s time for me to go, it’s time for me to go,” Sloan said.

Contrary to the rumors, Sloan said he is not leaving the Jazz with a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I’m not walking away from here hoping they lose,” Sloan said. “I’m hoping they win every game.”
The final decision to resign was announced at a 10 a.m. meeting Thursday between Sloan, Johnson and the Miller family, who own the Jazz.

“This morning when we met with Jerry as a family he informed us that the time had come,” Greg Miller said. “All of us that were in the room threw everything we had at him trying to get him to stay.”

Sloan squashed rumors that Deron Williams was part of the reason for his leaving.
“I don’t have any problem with Deron,” Sloan said. “His job is to play and mine was to coach. Deron’s a terrific player and everyone knows it.”

Miller confirmed those feelings during the press conference and let the world know this was a resignation and not a firing.

“Nobody pushed Jerry or Phil out. No players pushed them out. [General manager] Kevin [O’Connor] didn’t push them out. An aspiring head coach didn’t push them out and I certainly didn’t push them out,” Miller said.

Gail Miller, wife of the late Larry Miller, was on hand for the announcement and expressed her appreciation for Sloan and all he has done for the program.

“I know that all good things must come to an end and today is an end to an amazing era,” Miller said. “Thank you Jerry, thank you Phil. I will always remember you as the solid and stable foundation that the Utah Jazz was built on.”

Sloan’s departure is the end of a legendary era for the Jazz franchise, and the somber tone at the press conference reflected that feeling.

Both Sloan and Johnson were supportive of the mantle being shifted to Corbin, and the Jazz community is anxious to see where he takes the team from here.

“In my opinion they couldn’t have picked a better guy,” Sloan said. “We love him to death, we loved him when we had him here as a player, he’s a class guy. He’s a hard worker.”

Finding out about a half hour before the press conference, Corbin’s reaction reflected the mix of emotions he has felt.

“For me this is a bittersweet moment. I had no idea going into shootaround yesterday that coach [Sloan] and Phil would not be with us in the morning,” Corbin said.

Sloan has led this team since 1988 and has won more than 1,000 games with the Jazz, the only NBA coach to win more than 1,000 times with one team. He led the Jazz to the NBA Finals twice, in 1997 and 1998, but lost both times to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

“Everybody likes to win a world championship,” Sloan said. “But I think our team laid everything they had out there when they were in that position. You can’t ask any more. You should be able to hold your head up, go home and go to bed.”

Cougars improve to 5-0 in Vegas

2011-02-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the BYU Daily Universe on February 14th 2011.

The BYU men’s rugby team outscored its opponents 153-8 during a tournament over the weekend in Las Vegas and improved its overall record to 5-0.

On Friday, the Cougars, ranked No. 2 in the country, pounced on the Nittany Lions of Penn State in a 64-0 effort. Freshmen twins Josh and Jared Whippy from Fiji led the team in scoring with two trys a piece.

Josh didn’t take too much time to strike and scored a try within the first minute of the game. The fast start was indicative of the way the rest of the weekend would go.

Throughout the Penn State game, five other Cougars scored, but the scoring didn’t stop there.

On Saturday, against Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, BYU played 29 players to come out on top, 89-8. Cal Poly scored in the last minute of the game.

The Cougars wasted no time jumping out to a large lead. Ray Forrester scored for BYU within the first minute of the match and by 16 minutes in the Cougars had scored five tries, three of which came from Josh Whippy.

Even though both games were blowouts, vice captain Dylan Lubbe still witnessed a marked improvement in the team.

“In the first game, we were trying to do way too much from the start instead of getting more structured, so in the second game we tried to be a little bit more structured and that helped us out a lot,” Lubbe said.

The numbers showed the improvement. BYU turned the ball over 29 times in the first game and half that much in the second. Lubbe said he hopes this improvement will carry through to the game against Utah on March 5.

“We just need to keep improving and use this weekend as a stepping stone,” Lubbe said. “The more games that we play the better we are getting at adapting to [the] system.”

The Cougars will take on Utah Valley University on Saturday, Feb. 26, in their final preparation game before meeting with Utah to begin conference play. Utah is ranked No. 3 in the nation.

The women’s team also made the trip to Las Vegas to begin its winter season and won both of its games against Chico St. by the score of 51-6, and an all-star team from schools in the Midwest, 11-0.

Senior Keilani Paul of Houston was awarded the game ball for exemplary play. Coach Tom Waqa said he was proud of the girls this weekend and is looking forward to the rest of the season.

“Overall, it was a good weekend. I think we achieved our goal, which was to win and to develop players. I think we are ready for the season,” Waqa said.

Cougars pounce on Nittany Lions in rugby

2011-02-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

This article was published on the BYU Daily Universe website on February 11th, 2011.

BYU rugby won the first of two games in the Las Vegas Invitational Friday afternoon, beating Penn State 64-0.

The Cougars continued their streak of shutout victories in their thrashing of the Nittany Lions.

The game featured an offensive showcase that started fast. BYU freshman Josh Whippy scored in the first minute, signaling to the Nittany Lions that it would be a long day.

BYU will play again Saturday against Cal Poly San Louis Obispo and try to keep its shutout streak going.

BYU rugby heads to Las Vegas

2011-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

This article was published February 10, 2011 in the BYU Daily Universe.

After three weeks with no competition, the undefeated BYU men’s rugby team heads to Las Vegas for two tough games against fellow College Premiere League opponents this weekend.

BYU will face familiar competition in Vegas: Penn State and Cal Poly San Louis Obispo. If history can be trusted, BYU will have a successful weekend. The Cougars are 6-0 against Cal-Poly for the last six years and 5-0 against Penn State, beating PSU 84-14 in their last meeting.

BYU player David Williams expressed the team’s simple objective for this weekend — to win.

“Our goal for this weekend is just to hand it to them,” Williams said. “[To] go down there and really take care of business, to go down there and beat everyone and not hold back anything.”

BYU will also use this weekend to get into the season before conference play starts against league rival Utah on March 5. According to assistant coach Kimball Kjar, these two games are another chance for the Cougars to settle into their overall game plan and define who is going to play in their starting 15.

“[This weekend’s] just getting a good gauge as to what guys we can rely upon when we get into the conference season,” Kjar said.

In its 69-0 win against the No. 12-ranked Aztecs of SDSU three weeks ago, BYU saw the fruits of hard preparation. The Cougars have continued that discipline in preparation for Las Vegas and were even caught outside in the rain and snow recently but didn’t stop practicing.

BYU will have a chance to showcase its depth with the loss of freshman Jeff Ott, one of BYU’s wings, who pulled a hamstring in preparation for Las Vegas.

“It’s always a bad thing to lose a player. But I think this year on this squad we’ve got some guys who can step up,” said captain Dylan Lubbe of South Africa.

The depth of this year’s team is going to be a huge factor in the season’s success and one of its major advantages against opponents, Williams said.

According to a BYU news release, BYU will be Penn State’s first foe of the season today at 12:20 p.m. Cal Poly will try to mar BYU’s perfect 3-0 record this Saturday at 10 a.m. BYU’s second 15 will also get a chance against Penn State’s second team this morning.

Rugby brings player across the globe to BYU

2011-02-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the BYU Daily Universe on February 7th, 2011.

As a 10-year-old in New Zealand, BYU rugby star Ray Forrester made one important decision, leading him down a path he never dreamed of.

It was 14 years ago that Forrester, living on the south island of New Zealand, was chosen to play for a representative rugby team on his island that held games on Sunday. Whether to play on Sunday would be an extremely difficult decision for any primary-aged LDS child, and his stepfather left it up to him.

“My dad said to me, ‘You can choose whether you want to play or not,’ and I played that first Sunday game,” Forrester said, “[but] I knew that it was wrong.”

Following that game, Forrester stopped playing for the team. They even begged his father to let him play, but Forrester’s choice was final.

“I chose not to [play] because I just knew that Heavenly Father would bless me,” Forrester said.

And the blessings have come aplenty. After Forrester’s decision, rugby became the vehicle that has taken him around the world and back again. Now, at the age of 24, Forrester has settled down as a starting prop for the highly talented 2011 BYU rugby squad.

But it has been a long journey.

His first stop with rugby came at the Church College of New Zealand, located on the north island of New Zealand, then on to Europe for a rugby tour, and then off to Utah to play for perennial rugby power Highland after high school.

It was playing that season with Highland that helped Forrester realize another decision: He wanted to serve a mission.

“For me, coming into the strong LDS culture was good for me because I come from a little branch back in NZ,” Forrester said.

In January 2006, Forrester was called to serve a mission to an area not too far from his home: Brisbane, Australia.

Following his mission, Forrester made his way back to Utah for the sole purpose of playing rugby at BYU. But Forrester soon realized the value and blessings of a good education.

“When I had the opportunity to come back over here it was all about the rugby,” Forrester said. “Now I’ve realized that education is just as, if not more, important.”

Forrester’s commitment to education has made him a force not only on the field but in the classroom.

“[Forrester's] committed to his educational success as much as he’s committed to be a good rugby player. His ability to do well in the classroom has allowed him to do well on the field,” said BYU coach Wayne Tarawhiti, who knew Forrester from when he played at Highland.

For Forrester, studying at BYU is more than just an education, it’s the beginning of a new tradition in his family as he’s the first to actually get past high school.

“For me and for my circumstances that I come from, it’s such a huge blessing to be here and I definitely need to take advantage of it while I have it,” Forrester said.

Lacrosse routes Boise State 17-3

2011-02-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

This article was published on the BYU Daily Universe sports website, sportsuniverse.byu.edu on February 5th, 2011

BYU lacrosse began the season at a sprint as it routed Boise State 17-3 in Provo on Saturday.

The high-level performance from BYU prompted Boise State co-head coach Paul Rocchio to praise the Cougars with a bold prediction.

“These guys are going to win the national title,” Rocchio said.

While it might be too early to predict a national title, the Cougars are certainly off to a great start with such a convincing win.

BYU coach Matt Schneck was happy with the win but understands there’s still more room to grow before they win a national championship and acknowledged Boise State helped identify those points of weakness.

“There’s a lot of good competition out there. We’ve got the right talent and now it’s just a question of putting it all together,” Schneck said. “There’s definitely some things that we need to go work on.”

BYU freshman goalie Wes Goar, who had a stand-out game as a starter, is looking forward to where the team will end up.

“I think we’re just gonna keep getting better every game,” Goar said.

After losing eight seniors following last season, including national player of the year Britt Cone, the Cougars were looking to begin the new season on the right foot. And they did just that.

BYU didn’t waste time in setting the tone of the game, running to a 10-0 lead with five minutes left in the first half and winning nine of 13 first half face-offs.

Junior captain Ted Ferrin led a balanced BYU scoring attack with four assists and four goals. The Cougars spread their scoring among nine different players, showcasing the high level of offensive talent they have this season.

However, the game wasn’t only offense. The BYU goalie corps, Goar and Matt Erickson, only allowed three goals on 14 shots.

The Cougars continue to look forward and will set out on the road soon, where they will learn more about their team.

“Our next set of games is on the road so that’s going to be a good test for us,” said senior captain and two-time all-American Tyler Monteath, who against Boise State played his first game since returning from a mission.

The Cougars’ next games will be away matches in one weekend starting Friday, Feb. 18, against Loyola Marymount University.

BYU men’s lacrosse begins season

2011-02-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the BYU Daily Universe on February 3rd, 2011.

Coming off an appearance in the quarterfinals in last year’s MCLA national tournament, the No. 6 BYU men’s lacrosse team looks to improve this season with its season opener against Boise State on Saturday.

The team will have to overcome the loss of preseason player of the year Elliot Grow and national player of the year Britt Cone, who coach Matt Schneck said are arguably two of the most talented players to come through the BYU program.

However, the senior captains of this year’s squad seem to be optimistic that while lacking the individual talent from last year, this team will be able to make up for it in overall unity.

Under second-year head coach Schneck (who also played lacrosse at BYU), the team has brought unity to a new level.

“[Schneck’s] been one of the biggest things for team unity,” said Brian Mathay, one of the two senior captains for this year’s team. “We all love him.”

However, the team is definitely not void of talent. Tyler Monteath, the other senior captain and two-time first-team all-American, along with other returning missionaries, will add a wealth of talent to the team this season.

When Monteath left for his mission, he was just coming off the national championship season of 2007 and is looking to get back to that same winning tradition.

BYU hasn’t played Boise State for so long that neither of the senior captains have ever faced them. However, even though they don’t have film on the Broncos, the Cougars are expecting tough competition.

“They’re big boys and they like to play very physically,” Schneck said. “[But] this is really about focusing in on who we are and what we need to be doing.”

Captains Monteath and Mathay said they are also looking forward to the Boise State game to evaluate how the team will fare in its first game of the season.

“We’re excited to just see what the team can do,” Mathay said. “The first game’s always a good chance to see where you are as a team.”

“I’m excited to see what the team’s going to be like when we’re all together,” Monteath said.

New players to watch for this season are Cone and Grow’s replacements, Grayson Dahl and Andrew Harding, as well as freshman Alek Mika and goalie Wes Goar.

The game this weekend will take place on the north university field at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Rugby men sweep weekend trip in southern California

2011-02-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the BYU Daily Universe on January 24th, 2011

The BYU men’s rugby team began the season 3-0 with a convincing sweep of three Southern California opponents this weekend.

The Cougars rolled to two victories, beating Division II champion Claremont Colleges 86-0 and league rival San Diego State University 69-0.

The second team also got a chance to represent BYU in a 25-10 win against the University of San Diego, leaving the record a perfect 3-0 to start the season.
With impressive showings from veteran players and freshmen, team captain Ryan Roundy said the team came together this weekend.

“Everyone’s buying into the program,” Roundy said. “Everyone’s buying into the system.”

The four-day trip allowed the team to integrate its new freshmen into the mix.
Freshman twins Josh Whippey and Jared Whippey, from Fiji, combined for nine of BYU’s 30 trys over the weekend. At one point in the victory against SDSU on Saturday, Jared scored three trys in a row in 11 minutes. Josh had a similar showing against Claremont Colleges on Thursday with four first half trys.

When asked about his big trys against rival SDSU, Jared responded humbly.

“It was a good team effort,” Jared said. “I didn’t think too much about it. As long as we were getting points, I was happy.”

BYU has played SDSU tight in its past few meetings, with a come-from-behind victory in the final four of their 2009 championship run and a 36-22 hard-fought battle last year in Provo. This year, the Cougars had their number in a much more convincing fashion.

Vice captain Dylan Lubbe had nothing but positive things to say about the win.
“We are very proud of the weekend; we wanted to win three games,” Lubbe said. “I think the boys have got a confidence boost from the weekend. We want to prepare for each game as it comes and keep the wins coming.”

BYU will take a few weeks off to prepare for its next test, which will be a road trip to Las Vegas on Feb. 11 and 12 to battle two more league opponents, Cal Poly and Penn State.

Men’s rugby begins season today in Southern California

2011-02-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the BYU Daily Universe on January 18th, 2011

The BYU men’s rugby team begins its season today with a series of tough games in southern California.

The team looks to make it to the national championship game this year for the sixth season in a row. But this year they will have to do it with a different cast of players.

The team returns all four of its first-team All-Americans this season, including captain Ryan Roundy, a junior from Holladay, and vice-captain Dylan Lubbe, a junior from South Africa. But the real question this year concerns the 10 new recruits.

Roundy said the recruits seem to be fitting in quite nicely.

“We’ve been very impressed by all of the good recruits,” he said. “They’re already on-the-field leaders, they’re not normal freshmen. ”

This weekend, the team is hoping to find out where they are and how far they have to go this season to reach their goals, Lubbe said. The team has trained hard during the fall semester and after winter break put in even more hours.

David Smyth, head coach of BYU rugby for 20 years, echoed Lubbe’s sentiments and said he looks “to build a good solid foundation to springboard to the rest of the season.”

Even with the talented recruits and returning All-Americans, Lubbe said the the team is taking a humble approach into the season.

“We’re not predicting anything, but we obviously have some high expectations for the team,” Lubbe said. “We just want to stay on track and do our best.”

Today BYU’s first team will take on Claremont College in Claremont, Calif., for its first game of the season, and the first match ever between the two programs. Claremont boasts a strong team after winning the Division II national championship last year against Temple, and will be looking to start its season with a win. The game will start at 5 p.m.

On Saturday the Cougars will travel to San Diego for a 3 p.m. game against San Diego State, whom BYU beat in 2009 in the semifinals and last year in Provo.

BYU’s second team will also get a chance to play the University of San Diego on Friday and the San Diego State second team on Saturday.

Men’s rugby escapes the cold to help youth

2011-02-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

This story was published in the Daily Universe at BYU on Thursday January 13, 2011.

The BYU men's rugby team took a break from the cold last weekend with a trip to St. George and a twofold mission: to defrost, and be mentors to rugby youth.

Assistant BYU rugby coach and Propel Rugby Academy founder Kimball Kjar explained the priorities of the team while in St. George.

“The first priority was to help the youth down there, and the second priority was to get the rugby team out of the snow,” Kjar said.

More than 100 youthful participants received guidance from the BYU rugby team in the Propel Rugby Academy “Winter Warm-Up” clinic in St. George held on the campus of Dixie State College.

Jay Day, the father of three participating sons and a local high school rugby coach, he saw how the event greatly impacted his children.

“They’re such good examples to my boys, and my boys, they just try to mimic everything they do,” Day said, referring to the BYU rugby team.

Day has hosted the BYU players in his home for years when they came to town to participate in local tournaments. But this year was different, because the players were able to give back to the rugby community in southern Utah through the youth clinic.

“BYU is so generous, because they shared everything. Complete transparency, they didn’t hold anything back,” Day said.

The trip also provided valuable time for the team to get to know each other and the 10 new recruits they are welcoming for the 2011 rugby season.

“It was good for the guys to just get on the road together, and there’s some good team bonding that goes on there,” Kjar said. “To be able to get a full field, to be able to have the guys spread out, to train, and to work on our overall systems as a team, it helps us to work on team cohesion.”

The team boasts a strong recruiting class for the 2011 season and will start its season with a road trip to Southern California. They look to reclaim the championship from rival Cal, whom they lost to in the 2010 championship game.