Bowling Green traveled to Bloomington, Indiana this weekend for one of the biggest rugby matchups of the season.

It was a hard-fought match but the higher ranked team came out on top.

The No. 1 ranked BG Rugby team outlasted the No. 4 Indiana University Mudsharks and remain undefeated on the season, winning the contest 23-5 on Saturday.

It was a low scoring affair, especially for the Falcons, who average just over 80 points per match.

Before the match, coach Tony Mazzarella explained how Indiana was poised to defeat the Falcons and reclaim the conference after BG defeated them in the Midwest Conference Championship last season.

In one of the most difficult matchups for the year for BG, avoiding mistakes, keeping possession, and playing tough defense was essential for a victory.

Defense prevailed in the first half as team would find their way across the try line. The only scoring would come from the Falcons’ star flyhalf Nick Viviani who kicked two successful penalty kicks.

When the whistle blew to end the half, BG held a 6-0 lead.

In the second half, the Falcons opened up the field a little bit and found more success on the offensive side of the ball. Wing Max Narewski, and props Cory Ruth and Trent Szente all scored tries to push the game out of reach for the Mudsharks.

Viviani led the Falcons in scoring with eight points, while Narewski, Ruth, and Szente each added five.

BG returns home next week to face Premier League contenders Notre Dame on Saturday.