BGSU men’s rugby club team wins 39th consecutive MAC title

Falcons defeat Western Michigan on Nov. 10 at Brimelow Fields in Fairfield, Ohio

For the fourth time in five years, Bowling Green State University’s men’s rugby club team defeated Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Championship.

BGSU defeated the Broncos 23-20 on Nov. 10 at Brimelow Fields in Fairfield, Ohio, to keep its streak of MAC titles alive at 39 in a row. The Falcons, who led 12-5 at halftime, needed a last-second penalty kick by freshman Ryan Niemiller to advance to the national playoffs Nov. 23-24 in Greenville, North Carolina.

“Every year, it gets harder and harder to keep this streak going,” said Roger Mazzarella, BGSU rugby operations manager. “We have a huge target on our backs as schools like Cincinnati and Louisville, along with Western Michigan, keep getting better and better.”

The Falcons defeated Louisville 41-14 in Nov. 9 in a semifinal to set up the championship match. BGSU had lost to Louisville and Western in the regular season.