Crusaders Come Up Trumps Against Maddogs

Over the weekend the Canton Maddogs hosted the new kids on the Division IV block, the Cleveland Crusaders. The match was the season opener and the home opener for the Maddogs but the home field advantage wasn't enough to will the Maddogs to victory. Though Canton fought hard the entire match, a last-minute try sank their intentions to secure the 29-24 for the visiting Cleveland side.

Despite the Maddogs conceding the loss over the weekend, there were still positives to be taken away from the experience. The Maddogs kept the Crusaders under constant pressure and was always in sight of the lead.

"We applied plenty of pressure to our opponents all match, and we fought hard 'til the end," said the Maddogs' Head Coach Dan Sturtz. "We just came up short, but it was a great effort by all. Now we see where we are, and we can work on improving our game for the next match."

Scoring tries for the Maddogs were Chris Wright and Ryan Moton. Both men had a pair of five-pointers to their team's tally. Gabe Mullane converted two of the four attempted kicks to put an additional four points towards the Maddogs' total.

"I am proud of the team," said Captain Gabe Mullane. "We showed some impressive defense and made some big stops. It was back-and-forth all match. Everyone stepped up and played with courage, from the veterans down to the rookies. It was kind of heart-breaking to lose in the final seconds like that but we have to be proud of the way we all played. We're really looking forward to our next match."

The Maddogs will look to avenge the weekend's loss when they travel to Youngstown this weekend. It will be a sweet victory for the Maddogs to rebound against their in-state rival, Steel Valley, who suffered a loss of their own over the weekend. Kick off is set for 1:00pm.

For more information about Canton Rugby, please log on to the team Web site or email the team.