AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University rugby team could not pick up their first home win of the season on Saturday, falling 47-7 to the club team from Eckerd College. The Gyrenes were unable to keep pace with a physical team from Eckerd, but did end the game on a positive note with seven points in the final minute of the contest.

In the first half, Eckerd jumped out to a 24-0 lead. The Gyrenes put up a strong defensive effort against the Tritons, but could not get anything going offensively. The AMU coaching staff spotlighted the play of Daniel Harrington in the first half, as well as the hits and runs from Greg Higgins.

The second half saw Eckerd put up another 23 points, but the Gyrenes ended the contest on a positive note. As the time wound down, Greg Higgins got Ave Maria on the board with a try with just seconds remaining on the clock. Higgins then completed the day's scoring, connecting on his conversion to account for all seven of Ave Maria's points.

The Gyrenes will have nearly a month to prepare for their next match, a rematch with the club team from the University of Miami. The Gyrenes and Hurricanes battled earlier in February in Ave Maria, with Miami earning a 21-19 win. An Ave Maria win in Dade County would pull Ave Maria even with the Hurricanes at the top of Division II in the Florida Collegiate Conference.