Geneva College Men's Rugby hosted Grove City College at Reeves Field on October 4, 2025. In an early morning matchup on home turf, the Geneva College…
Geneva College Men's Rugby hosted Grove City College at Reeves Field on October 4, 2025.
In an early morning matchup on home turf, the Geneva College men’s rugby team battled hard against visiting Grove City College, ultimately falling in a nail-biter that ended 25–24 in Grove City’s favor.
The match opened with tight, physical play from both sides. Geneva’s defense showed marked improvement, shutting down multiple Grove City attacks that in earlier weeks might have broken through. At halftime, Grove City held a slim 15–7 lead, with Geneva keeping pace through disciplined tackling and solid set-piece work.
Early in the second half, Grove City began to pull away, using their powerful forward pack and strong drives near the ruck to stretch the lead to 25–7. But Geneva refused to fold. With under 15 minutes to go, the Golden Tornadoes mounted a determined offensive push, punching in their second try of the day to close the gap.
Momentum continued to swing Geneva’s way immediately after the kickoff, when Geneva made a sensational catch and return for the second try of the second half. Feeding off that energy, Geneva’s defense dug deep, holding Grove City scoreless in the closing minutes.
With just over a minute remaining, Geneva surged again, crossing the try line for a fourth time to bring the score within one point. The conversion attempt went wide, leaving the Tornadoes trailing 25–24. In the final seconds, Geneva looked poised for one last push, but a dropped pass in the back line ended the comeback bid and sealed the narrow defeat.
Despite the heartbreaking finish, Geneva showed clear progress on the defensive end, significantly reducing line breaks and maintaining structure throughout the match. While simple errors such as knock-ons and handling miscues proved costly, the team’s resilience and ability to rally late underscored a growing confidence and chemistry heading into the next fixture.
Man of the Match: Nate McFarland, Freshman Wing, led the team with two tries, including a spectacular kickoff return that helped ignite Geneva’s late comeback push. Beyond his scoring, he was instrumental on defense, making several crucial, try-saving tackles that kept Geneva within striking distance. His pace, composure, and all-around effort set the tone for the team and showcased the exciting potential he brings to the program.
Try Scorers:
Nate McFarland (Freshman Wing) – 2 Tries
Zion Haley (Junior Outside Center) – 1 Try
Andrew Curran (Junior Center) – 1 Try
Conversions:
Michael Mann (Senior Fly-Half) – 2/4
Looking Ahead: Geneva College will head into the playoffs as #8 out of 8 teams. Despite the seeding, Geneva will face off against the #1 seed in the quarterfinals of playoffs. Stay tuned for the matchup set for Saturday, October 25th.
Match Video: https://youtu.be/8eT3XQFi6AQ?si=iTPqXA6kjzpr2DGH