Oct 5- Arizona hit the road for the second straight match to open the year, traveling to Albuquerque with a team of predominantly first and second year athletes to take on New Mexico. The D1AA side would be playing at full strength, giving the young Wildcats another road test after a strong season-opening victory over UTEP.

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Starting well on the road is huge in rugby and the Wildcats have started to take this to heart, with the backs stringing together a great first phase attack to put Fullback Parker Beilke under the sticks for the first score of the game converted by Flyhalf Connor McIsaac to make it 7-0. Flanker Damir Kulnazarov would run a great support line of his own to make it 14-0 before Tom Manning and Van Hampton each touched down to make it 26-0 in just the 23rd minute. A second Beilke score would make it 36-0 at halftime, giving the visitors a chance to rotate personnel and give several first-year athletes valuable minutes. One of those was freshman center Brody Johnson, who scored a hat trick in the second half alongside a double by reserve Flyhalf Saxon Gerstl to secure the road win. 

 

"We're thankful to UNM for hosting and they are an improving side. I felt we started well but in defense we got complacent and it showed with a late try. These are the days where we're really just trying to spread minutes around and use these games, the mistakes, and the successes to teach ahead of a long season" said Director of Rugby Sean Duffy.

 

The Wildcats return home before a quick trip to Phoenix to take on Grand Canyon in a matchup of Freshmen-Sophomore sides October 12.
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For the Wildcats full Fall schedule, click here.

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Arizona 74-7 UNM

Tries: Johnson (3), Beilke (2), Gerstl (2), Kulnazarov, Manning, Hampton, Barker, Agustin

Conversions: Gerstl- 4/5, McIsaac- 3/7