Outscoring its longtime New York City rival five tries to two, the New York Athletic Club defeated Old Blue 31-16 on a warm, sunny day at Columbia University’s Baker Field.

Photos by Ed Hagerty

Following a closely contested first half during which it posted a slight, 12-11 lead, the NYAC outscored Old Blue 19-5 after the teams changed ends. Five different players touched down for the NYAC, while two scored tries for Old Blue.

Host Old Blue opened the scoring five minutes into the first half when flyhalf Ashley Moeke hit a penalty goal, 3-0. The NYAC responded in the 7^th minute when its No. 8 Alastair McFarland crossed for a try from the five following an Old Blue infraction. NYAC center Alan MacGinty converted, 7-3.

After missing penalty attempts in the 10^th and 15^th minutes, a successful penalty goal by Old Blue’s Ashley Moeke in the 20^th minute narrowed the NYAC lead to a single point, 7-6.

The NYAC responded in the 29^th minute when wing Steve Annunziato touched down in the corner at the conclusion of a multi-pass movement that started near midfield, 12-6.

With the NYAC on the attack in the shadow of Old Blue’s goal line, Old Blue fullback Luke Hume stepped in front of a NYAC pass in the 39^th minute and raced 95 meters for an unconverted try under the posts, 12-11.

The teams changed ends shortly thereafter, with the visiting NYAC holding a slim 12-11 lead.

In the second half, the teams battled to a scoreless standstill for the entire third quarter.

Then, in the 26^th minute, NYAC won a lineout seven meters from Old Blue’s line and AC flanker Neil McMillian was driven over the line for a corner try that AJ MacGinty converted, 19-11.

The NYAC scored again in the 31^st minute when center Toby L’Estrange took a final pass from scrumhalf Mike Petri to touch down near the posts at the conclusion of a 40-meter attacking movement. MacGinty’s conversion increased NYAC’s lead to 26-11.

The AC’s scoring concluded in the 35^th minute when hooker Conor Coyne touched down in the corner after NYAC won a lineout on Old Blue’s five, 31-11.

Down, but not out, Old Blue scored the game’s final points when center Steve Strydom scored in the corner following a scrum 22 meters from NYAC’s line, 31-16.

Old Blue         #      New York AC

Williams          1      Discala

Griffin             2      Coyne

Brazier             3      Fiffe

Bradley           4      Denise

Ripley              5      Doyle

Lipscomb        6      Stanfill

Clouston          7      McMillian

Hoehmann       8      McFarland

Pizzaro            9      Petri

Moeke             10    Evans

Wareing           11    Johnson

Freed-Pastor    12    L’Estrange

Strydom          13    MacGinty

Adams             14    Annunziato
Hume              15    Chapman

Reserves

Unsworth        16    Schacter

Murray            17    Baptiste

Smith               18    McTiernan

Cohen              19    Cohen

Rizzo               20    Durant

Rechtin            21    Diehl

Sullivan           22    Gianchetta

Referee: Marc Nelson

SCORING:

New York AC - 31:
Tries: McFarland, Annunziato, McMillian, L’Estrange, Coyne
Convs: MacGinty 3

Old Blue - 16:
Tries: Hume, Strydom
Pens: Moeke 

Halftime: NYAC 12, Old Blue 11