RADFORD -- The Radford Men's Rugby Club defeated the Coast Guard Academy 48-15 at the Division II Elite 8 Tournament in Albuquerque Sunday to advance to the Division II national championship match at Stanford University May 3, where they will face Utah Valley College, an upset winner over defending Division II national champion Middlebury College.

The Highlanders made it to the Elite 8 in Albuquerque by beating the top-ranked Division II team, Salisbury University, in the Mid-Atlantic championship in Richmond on March 30. In first-round action in Albuquerque, they downed the University of Michigan 48-13 and then ran past the Coast Guard in the finals on Sunday to earn their way back to the national championship match, which they won in 2003.

"The guys knew that Coast Guard was going to be a tough game," said coach Mick Turk. "They knew they were going to have to play well. Everybody stepped up and did what they had to do to get the club to the national championship game in California."

For information about Radford men's rugby, please contact the captains, Shane Halse at smhalse@radford.edu or Mike Regalbuto at mregalbut@radford.edu.