Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Koen Webb of Iowa Central connected on a last-second PK to lift the Tritons past Marian at Crimmins Field. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Iowa Central showed a flair for the dramatic on Saturday at Crimmins Field, as the Tritons scored a thrilling 37-36 rugby victory over Marian University.

Captain Koen Webb’s penalty kick with no time remaining proved to be the difference for head coach Brent Nelson’s squad, which used a strong kicking game to prevail in a back-and-forth contest against the Knights.

“This has quickly become a true rivalry game in our conference,” Nelson said. “Early on, I could tell (Saturday) was going to be a down-to-the-final whistle kind of match again.

“We have a ton of mutual respect for each other, and the young men from both teams left it all out there on the field. That’s what we talked to our guys about this week in practice, pre-match and again at halftime. They have to be willing to walk away knowing they gave it all they could.”

Iowa Central had only three tries, scoring 22 points from kicks out of Cam Adderley, Takudzwa Musingwini and Webb.

Webb’s boot was clutch. After Marian had missed a penalty kick of their own with two minutes left in regulation, Webb converted to help the Tritons laugh last.

The Knights had pulled ahead in the second half with three converted tries. The Tritons were down by two points after the missed Marian PK, and Webb’s conversions came from 35 meters out.

“It was back and forth, as both teams would have plenty of scoring opportunities,” Nelson said. “A massive difference maker for us was our kicking game. We have three kickers at our disposal who are more than capable when we go for points.

“I thought we played a well-rounded match and did a good job defensively. Coaches (Joe) Lippert and (Quinton) Gilligan did a nice job of preparing the guys with film analysis.”

Iowa Central has been battling through its fair share of injuries recently, meaning other players were pushed into increased opportunities versus Marian.

“In the previous week and in practice, we had three starters and two bench players go down with injury,” Nelson said. “Some guys really stepped up to fill in those roles.

“I’m happy for the sophomores who were recognized in front of the home crowd for their contributions during their time here.”

Caleb Murphy had two tries for the Tritons, and Musingwini added one as well. He was also a perfect 4-for-4 on penalty kicks.

“There’s a lot of season left, and it’s still possible we could host a playoff match at the end of October, Nelson said. “We are going to rest and recover for the short week.

“Up next is non-conference opponent Lindenwood (this Friday on the road), who is one of the top teams in all of college rugby.”