BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene Men's Rugby kept their unbeaten start alive, powering past a tough Drury Panthers side 56-21 on Saturday evening to notch their third straight win of the 2025 fall campaign.
Despite the later-than-usual kickoff, the Crimson Storm wasted no time establishing control. Freshman Danny Heller opened the scoring with his first points in an SNU jersey, calmly slotting a penalty goal. Minutes later, Connor Malau'ulu spotted space in the Panthers' defense and blasted through from 30 meters out for the first try of the match, which Heller converted.
The Storm defense set the tone early, stifling Drury's attempts to generate momentum. Malau'ulu struck again soon after, this time finishing a patient attacking sequence for his second try, once more converted by Heller. With a strong wind at their backs, fly-half Hlanga Mabele dictated territory superbly, keeping Drury pinned deep and forcing errors. That pressure paid off when freshman Dane Wendorff finished a crisp passage of attacking play to claim his first collegiate try.
The scoring continued when graduate student Connor Kelly charged straight through the middle of the Drury defense to score under the posts, Heller adding the extras. Captain Jordan Gillispie then capped a dominant half with a stunning solo effort, picking from the base of a scrum near midfield and bulldozing through multiple defenders to touch down. With Heller perfect from the tee, the Crimson Storm took a commanding 36-0 lead into the break.
SNU kept their foot on the gas to open the second half. A pinpoint kick from Jacob Robertson, chased down ferociously by Wendorff and Seth Van Heerden, set up junior back-rower Parker Kennedy for the Storm's next score. Moments later, Mabele and Logan Landry combined brilliantly to send Heller over for his first try in Crimson Storm colors.
Drury showed resilience, answering with three tries of their own in the second half to demonstrate their attacking potential. But graduate replacement Logan McDaniel slammed the door shut with a quickfire brace, pushing SNU past the 50-point mark for the first time this season.
The final whistle confirmed a 56-21 victory for the Crimson Storm, who now sit at 3-0 in the fall campaign.
