Army Men’s Rugby Holds Off No. 5 Mount St. Mary’s 24-15 Behind Dominant First Half

EMMITSBURG, Maryland — No. 6 Army West Point men’s rugby built a commanding 19-point halftime lead and relied on a stern defensive performance in the second half to defeat No. 5 Mount St. Mary’s 24-15 on Saturday afternoon at Echo Field.

Isaac Gamboa recorded a pair of tries and Howie Heller was a perfect 4-for-4 on kicks as the Black Knights (5-1 overall, 3-1 Rugby East) remained unbeaten all-time against the Mountaineers, improving to 3-0 in the series following their Round of 16 playoff victory a season ago.

Army didn’t score in the second half but didn’t need to, as the defense stood tall against sustained pressure from Mount St. Mary’s (3-2 home record), limiting the Mountaineers to 10 unanswered points while never allowing the margin to shrink below nine points.

The ranked matchup lived up to its billing, with Mount St. Mary’s dominating the scrums 11-4 but Army controlling the lineouts 10-6. The Mountaineers recorded 55 tackles—led by Hayden McKay’s eight—but couldn’t overcome the Black Knights’ explosive first-half performance.

First Half: Black Knights Take Command

George Engels got Army on the board first, finding the try zone inside five minutes. Heller quickly followed with the conversion to make it 7-0, and the Black Knights never looked back.

Army extended the lead in the 11th minute when a punt paid immediate dividends. Gamboa sprinted ahead to recover the football and touched it down in the try zone, putting the Black Knights ahead 12-0. Heller’s conversion pushed the advantage to 14-0, establishing a multi-score lead that would prove insurmountable.

Mount St. Mary’s broke the shutout in the 13th minute with a spectacular special teams play. Simon Rossi blocked an Army box kick within the 10-meter line and touched the ball down in the goal as it rolled backwards toward the endline, cutting the deficit to 14-5 and giving the home crowd hope.

But Gamboa answered with his second try of the afternoon in the 32nd minute. Heller’s conversion extended the lead to 21-5, and the senior playmaker added a penalty kick as the first-half clock expired to send Army into halftime with a commanding 24-5 advantage.

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Second Half: Defense Stands Tall

The second half became a defensive battle, with Army playing methodically to protect its lead while Mount St. Mary’s applied sustained pressure in search of a comeback.

The Black Knights and Mountaineers traded goal-line battles and tackles throughout the opening stages of the half, with neither side able to break through. Mount St. Mary’s finally converted a penalty kick from Logan Wild in the 61st minute (19 minutes remaining) to cut the deficit to 24-8, giving the home crowd hope of a rally.

The Mountaineers continued to press, and with 12 minutes left on the clock they advanced deep into the Army 22-meter line. Chase Brown capitalized on the opportunity with a dig-and-dive goal-line play, recording Mount St. Mary’s’ second try of the day. Wild’s conversion sailed through the uprights to make it 24-15 with less than 10 minutes remaining, setting up a tense finish.

But the Black Knights’ defense—which had been under pressure for the entire second half—held firm in the closing minutes, preventing Mount St. Mary’s from mounting another scoring drive and preserving the nine-point victory.

“We’re happy to earn a road victory against a good team,” said Army head coach Matt Sherman. “In the first half we played really well in all facets consistently. In the second half we didn’t execute well in some key areas resulting in us needing to defend the entire time. While I was pleased to see our defense stand up to the continued pressure, we will need to improve to not put ourselves in those positions.”

Gamboa’s Two-Try Performance

Isaac Gamboa was the offensive star for Army, recording two tries in the first half to help build the commanding lead. His 11th-minute recovery of an Army punt showcased his speed and awareness, while his 32nd-minute try extended the lead to 16 points and effectively put the match out of reach.

“It was a hard-fought match against a great opponent in Mt. St. Mary’s,” Gamboa said. “We felt that we started off strong but had more to give in the second half. We’ll get back to work Monday and focus on finding an elite 80 minutes.”

Heller’s Perfect Kicking Day

Howie Heller continued his stellar season with a flawless 4-for-4 performance on kicks, converting all three of Army’s tries and adding a crucial penalty kick as time expired in the first half. The senior leads the Black Knights with 34 points on the season, including 10 conversions, three penalties, and one try.

Heller’s consistency from the boot has been a key factor in Army’s success this season, and his ability to convert scoring opportunities into maximum points proved decisive once again.

Mount St. Mary’s Fights Back

Despite the loss, Mount St. Mary’s showed resilience and fight throughout the match. Simon Rossi’s blocked box kick and recovery for a try in the 13th minute was a highlight-reel play that energized the home crowd and demonstrated the Mountaineers’ special teams prowess.

Chase Brown’s physical dig-and-dive try with 12 minutes remaining cut the deficit to nine points and gave Mount St. Mary’s a chance at a comeback. Logan Wild contributed five points with a penalty kick and conversion, keeping the Mountaineers within striking distance.

Defensively, Mount St. Mary’s recorded 55 tackles, with Hayden McKay leading the way with eight stops. The Mountaineers’ defensive effort kept them in the match despite being outscored 24-5 in the first half.

Set Piece Battle

The match featured contrasting strengths in the set pieces. Army dominated the lineouts, winning 10 to Mount St. Mary’s’ six, giving the Black Knights crucial possession and field position throughout the match.

However, the Mountaineers bested Army in the scrums, winning 11 to the Black Knights’ four. Mount St. Mary’s’ scrum dominance provided them with opportunities to build attacking phases and apply pressure, particularly in the second half when they controlled much of the possession.

The set-piece battle showcased both teams’ strengths and highlighted the tactical chess match between the coaching staffs.

Defensive Resilience

While the Black Knights’ offense dominated the first half, it was the defense that secured the victory in the second. The Black Knights absorbed sustained pressure from Mount St. Mary’s for the entire final 40 minutes, never allowing the Mountaineers to close the gap to less than nine points.

Army’s ability to maintain composure and execute defensively under duress demonstrated the team’s maturity and championship mentality. The Black Knights bent but never broke, forcing Mount St. Mary’s to work for every yard while limiting big plays and finishing opportunities.

The defensive performance was particularly impressive given that Army didn’t score in the second half, relying entirely on their ability to protect the lead built in the opening 40 minutes.

Scoring Summary

First Half:

• 5′ — Army: George Engels try; Howie Heller conversion — 7-0 Army
• 11′ — Army: Isaac Gamboa try; Howie Heller conversion — 14-0 Army
• 13′ — Mount St. Mary’s: Simon Rossi try (blocked box kick recovery) — 14-5 Army
• 32′ — Army: Isaac Gamboa try; Howie Heller conversion — 21-5 Army
• 40′ — Army: Howie Heller penalty — 24-5 Army

Halftime: Army 24, Mount St. Mary’s 5

Second Half:

• 61′ — Mount St. Mary’s: Logan Wild penalty — 24-8 Army
• 68′ — Mount St. Mary’s: Chase Brown try; Logan Wild conversion — 24-15 Army

Final: Army 24, Mount St. Mary’s 15

Series History

With the victory, Army improved to 3-0 all-time against Mount St. Mary’s. The Black Knights defeated the Mountaineers 25-13 in last year’s CRAA D1A Playoffs Round of 16 match at West Point, and have now won all three meetings between the programs.

The series has been competitive, with Saturday’s nine-point margin representing a hard-fought battle between two ranked teams. Army’s ability to win on the road against a quality opponent further solidifies the Black Knights’ standing in Rugby East.

Rugby East Implications

The victory improved Army to 3-1 in Rugby East conference play, keeping the Black Knights firmly in contention for the conference title. With several key matches remaining—including the upcoming rivalry match at Air Force—Army’s strong conference record positions them well for a potential playoff berth.

Mount St. Mary’s wrapped up their home 2025 Fall XV’s season with a 3-2 record, with one regular-season game remaining. The Mountaineers will travel to Marietta, Georgia, on November 1 for a matchup against Life University in their final regular-season contest.

Women’s Rugby Dominates Navy

In a related note, Army men’s rugby sent congratulations to the women’s team, which handled arch-rival Navy 84-0 at West Point on Saturday. The Black Knights now lead the Midshipmen 4-2-1 in the Star Series presented by USAA.

The women’s dominant performance added to a successful Saturday for Army rugby programs and continued the Black Knights’ recent success against their service academy rivals.

Looking Ahead

Army will return to action on October 31 with a Halloween matchup at rival Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Falcons will provide a stiff test for the Black Knights, who will look to extend their winning streak to six matches in the highly anticipated service academy rivalry.

The Black Knights will then return home on November 7 when they host Penn State at Anderson Rugby Complex in West Point, New York. The match against the Nittany Lions—whom Mount St. Mary’s defeated earlier this month—will mark Army’s first home contest since mid-October.

Sherman’s comments about needing to “find an elite 80 minutes” suggest the coaching staff will focus on maintaining offensive execution in the second half while building on the defensive resilience shown against Mount St. Mary’s.

Black Knights News:

• Army Women’s Rugby Dominates Navy 84-0 in Star Game, Extends All-Time Series Record to 20-0
• Army West Point Hockey Dominates Holy Cross 5-2 in Physical Battle at Tate Rink
• Army West Point Women’s Soccer Honors Seniors with Dominant 2-0 Victory Over Loyola

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Match Summary

Final Score: No. 6 Army West Point 24, No. 5 Mount St. Mary’s 15
Date: October 25, 2025
Venue: Echo Field, Emmitsburg, Maryland
Records: Army (5-1, 3-1 Rugby East), Mount St. Mary’s (3-2 home record)
Stream: Mount All-Access

Team Statistics

Copy table

Individual Scoring Leaders

Army West Point:

• Isaac Gamboa — 10 points (2 tries)
• Howie Heller — 14 points (3 conversions, 1 penalty)
• George Engels — 5 points (1 try)

Mount St. Mary’s:

• Simon Rossi — 5 points (1 try)
• Chase Brown — 5 points (1 try)
• Logan Wild — 5 points (1 penalty, 1 conversion)

Notable

• Ranked matchup: No. 6 Army defeated No. 5 Mount St. Mary’s in a battle of top-10 teams.
• Perfect first half: Army scored 24 points in the opening 40 minutes to take control.
• Gamboa’s two-try performance: The forward recorded tries in the 11th and 32nd minutes, including a recovery of an Army punt.
• Heller’s perfect kicking: The senior went 4-for-4 on kicks, converting all three tries and adding a penalty.
• Rossi’s special teams play: The Mount St. Mary’s player blocked an Army box kick and recovered it for a try in the 13th minute.
• Defensive resilience: Army didn’t score in the second half but held Mount St. Mary’s to 10 points despite sustained pressure.
• Set piece contrast: Mount St. Mary’s won the scrum battle 11-4, while Army dominated lineouts 10-6.
• McKay’s defensive effort: The Mountaineers’ defender led the team with eight tackles out of 55 total.
• Series dominance: Army improved to 3-0 all-time against Mount St. Mary’s.
• Rugby East success: The Black Knights improved to 3-1 in conference play.
• Road warriors: Army secured its second consecutive road victory.
• Heller’s season totals: The senior now has 34 points on the season (10 conversions, 3 penalties, 1 try).
• Comeback attempt falls short: Mount St. Mary’s never closed the gap to less than nine points in the second half.
• Women’s rugby dominance: Army women defeated Navy 84-0 on the same day, improving to 4-2-1 in the Star Series.
• Mount’s home finale: The Mountaineers finished their home Fall XV’s season 3-2.

Upcoming Schedule

Army West Point:

• October 31, 2025 — at Air Force, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• November 7, 2025 — vs. Penn State, Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, New York

Mount St. Mary’s:

• November 1, 2025 — at Life University, Marietta, Georgia

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