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AHO Rugby defeats Belmont, UNCC |
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Tuesday, 08 April 2008 |
by LILES NEAL
Intern Sports Reporter
It had been over a year since senior management major Joey Mullin stepped on a rugby pitch with the expectation to play in a match when he helped lead the AHO Rugby Football Club, Appalachian State University’s club rugby team, to two victories Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Mullin tore his ACL last year and had surgery in August. Although he couldn’t practice or play with the team, he stayed involved.
 Sophomore Benjamin Llewellyn tosses a rugby ball to teammate senior John Bortins in the match against College of Charleston Saturday. Photo by Holt Menzies |
“I’ve just been helping out and kind of coaching,” he said.
Eight months after surgery, Mullin was finally able to return to the pitch as a player.
“It feels awesome after not playing for a year to come out here and play two games,” he said.
On top of getting back into the game, Mullin and the rest of the team were able to post 40-0 and 24-7
victories over Belmont University and University of North Carolina at Charlotte respectively.
Senior business management major and AHO captain Joe Aldridge was pleased with both the team’s
play, as well as the results in both matches.
“[UNCC] is an up and coming college team. They’ve got a really strong program,” he said.
Aldridge has been with the team for five years and took the position of club president for the fall 2007
and spring 2008 seasons.
The two victories on Saturday were likely the last games Aldridge will play at home for the AHO club.
Aldridge has had more than a share in shaping the team into a formidable competitor over the past few
years, leading both as a coach and a captain.
He said he found it best, however, to lead as an example of hard work and dedication, saying of
himself, “I’m a little chubby, but a good athlete.”
Other highlights on the day included junior marketing major Ryan Murphy, who scored three tries in the
first match alone, and sophomore business marketing major Brett Ezarsky, who scored his first try for
AHO in the second match of the day.
 Senior Joey Mullin dominates a UNCC defender Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. He lead the team to two victories. Photo by Holt Menzies
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The club hosted the one-day event as a way to get a few more full-sided matches in at the end of the
season.
“We were trying to get the younger guys more involved and get them some playing time. That’s what
we were thinking when we made [the tournament] round robin,” Mullin said. “What we’re trying to do
right now is trying to transfer some of the leadership from the people who have been running the team
to the guys who are going to start running the team in the years to come.”
Pending a possible final away match in the next few weeks, AHO’s spring 2008 season ended with the
victories on Saturday.
They will play in a small-sided league with seven players on the field per team in the summer before
resuming full-sided matches next fall, including exhibition matches, a state tournament, and AHO’s
annual Rucktoberfest tournament here in Boone.
Although the dates have not been finalized, Mullin said Rucktoberfest will take place sometime in early
October or late September, depending on the dates of certain events on the ASU school calendar.
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