Miami Gardens, Fla. - In a Florida Collegiate Conference Semifinal showdown between two top-20 programs on Saturday afternoon, the second-ranked St. Thomas University Men's Rugby team punched its ticket to the Championship match with a 34-22 victory over No. 17 University of South Florida.

Both teams traded blows in a tense first half, but the Bobcats found their rhythm through sharp set-piece execution. Matthew Arteta opened the scoring, followed by Daniel Crawford, who muscled over from the back of a maul before adding a second with a sweeping move down the right involving three front rowers in a surprising display of width and flair. Ivan Moore capped off the first-half scoring after sustained pressure in the USF 22, giving the Bobcats a commanding 24–6 lead at the break, with USF only managing two penalty kicks.

The second half brought a shift in momentum. USF capitalized on scoreboard pressure and slowly clawed their way back into the contest, narrowing the gap to 24–22 and silencing the home crowd. But with 10 minutes left, Nokutenda Mukumba broke through to get the Bobcats back on the board, and Welton Charumbira sealed the result with a try in the corner—final score: 34–22.

The Bobcats now turn their focus to a mouth-watering State Final clash against fierce rivals  and seventh-ranked Florida State University in Titusville on April 12th.

Match Statistics:

Daniel Crawford – 2 Tries

Matthew Arteta – 1 try

Nokutenda Mukumba – 1 try

Ivan Moore – 1 try

Welton Charumbira – 1 try