Princeton Takes the 2013 Koranda Cup

Despite 5 tries by the Yalies, Princeton squeaks in a last minute try to win the Koranda Cup. The annual rivalry with Yale was a back and forth affair with Yale scoring first, then Princeton took a comanding lead, before Yale answered back to take a lead into the final moments before Princeton took the Cup with no time remaining.

Yale scored first with a try by Joe Purdy. Princeton came back with a try, but the conversion was no good, making the score 7-5 still in favor of the Bulldogs. Princeton keeps up the momentum with 2 more tries and good kicks, 19-7.  Dalton Carr, Scott Williams, Joe Murday and Hal Robinson come back for Yale to take a 31-26 lead with little left on the clock. In a last minute try, Princeton wins 33-31.

Pre-Match Write Up

Each year the Princeton v. Yale spring match is contested in the honor of Rob Koranda. Rob played rugby for Princeton from 2000 to 2002. This year's 2013 match will mark the 12th entry on the Robert A. Koranda Cup beginning with the 2002 match which included senior Rob Koranda in the Princeton lineup.

The Princeton men's rugby team was victorious in the 2002 rivalry with Yale. Rob also played flanker on the 2000 team that made the round of 16 in the NCAA Division I national tournament.

Koranda was a student of the game and beloved by his teammates and friends. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to live with former teammates. Tragically in 2003, a second-floor balcony collapsed, bringing down the balconies below it and claiming the lives of 12 people. Unfortunately, Rob was one of the 12.

After his death, close friends and classmates came together to engrave a stone that now graces the Princeton chapel. The team’s MVP award is named after Koranda.

The winner of the Yale-Princeton match will receive the Robert A. Koranda Cup, named in honor of Princeton's Rob Koranda '02.