University of Virginia Library

Ruggers Snatch
Fourth Place

By Bill Nachman

"Wait till next year" was all the
Virginia A side could utter after a
disappointing fourth place finish in
the Schaefer Invitational Tourney.
The tournament, staged in New
York, saw the Virginia team whip
Holy Cross, and then succumb to
Old Blue and George Washington
after the loss of Courtney Hoopes.

Hoopes, who had skillfully
anchored Virginia through the Holy
Cross win and the early stages of
the Old Blue game, broke his
collarbone as he tried with only
minutes remaining in the first half
of the Old Blue contest.

Virginia was at its best in the
Holy Cross match, whipping them
heftily, 14-5. Never in trouble,
Virginia opened the scoring with
only three minutes elapsed when
Tom Furniss hit a 30 yard penalty
kick.

Minutes later the Cavaliers
rounded out their first half scoring
when Ronnie Pulliam hit Dwight
Van Horne with a cross field over
the shoulder pass, and Van Home
legged it in for three from about 18
yards out.

Holy Cross momentarily took
the upper hand, but Virginia only
allowed a try and a conversion and
then regained the advantage. The
halftime score had Virginia up by
only one, 6-5.

Methodically returning to work
in the second period, Furniss hit
another penalty kick with about 10
minutes gone in the half.
Continuing to threaten, Courtney
Hoopes hit Pulliam full steam for a
25 yard try, which Furniss
converted.

A jubilant Virginia squad
advanced into the second round
with a well-deserved 14-5 win.

Later in the day (Saturday) Old
Blue sent its "dirty old men" out to
do battle with the Cavaliers, Behind
the vociferous support of many
fans Old Blue was first on the
scoreboard when Eddie Malmstrom
tried and converted.

With only four minutes left in
the first period Hoopes stormed
toward the try line. He made the
try all right, but he also broke his
collarbone. This loss changed
Virginia's momentum and style of
play significantly.

Hitting on a later penalty kick,
Old Blue held an 8-5 advantage at
the half Virginia tried to recoup
but just wasn't physically able.

Even with a man advantage
Virginia staved off Old Blue's
thrusts for the first 12 minutes of
the second half. Finally Tom
Haggerty broke for a 25 yard try.

The New Yorkers added more
insurance with Sam Barnum's try
and Malstrom's conversion. It was
now definitely apparent that
Hoopes' breakaway threat was
sorely needed in a haggard Virginia
contingent.

With ten minutes left in the
match Tom Furniss collided head on
with Old Blue's Tom Haggerty.
Furniss, later seen at the dance in a
kilt, won here as he only busted an
artery.

As the match ended Old Blue's
pack pushed across a final score.
Malstrom's boot gave Old Blue a
23-3 victory.

After wreaking havoc on the
Hempstead Hotel and out partying
all comers, Virginia lost Sunday,
9-0, to George Washington without
the services of either Hoopes or
Furniss. Deliberate play
characterized the entire match.

George Washington made all of
its points in the first half. Tom
Fromm, an All-American soccer
player, booted three penalty kicks.

Sparked by Ronnie Pullian's
stalwart play early in the second
half, the Cavaliers almost pushed
across some points but not quite,
So home it was to C'ville with a 9-0
setback and fourth place in the
eight team field.

This Saturday and Sunday
Virginia hosts the ninth annual
Commonwealth Cup. Teams
competing include Yale, Brown,
Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia,
Toronto, Princeton, and Virginia.