CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Daniel Benaroche of Montreal scored 12 points as the visiting McGill University men's rugby team rallied from an early seven-point deficit to outwit, outlast and outplay Harvard 45-12 in the Covo Cup challenge game, played in wintery conditions more befitting a game of Survivor, at Mignone Field, Saturday.

It was the first confrontation between these teams in four years but the fifth straight Cup victory for McGill, which improved to 21-14 lifetime in the almost annual competition which was initiated in 1974 to mark the centennial of the first meeting between the two storied clubs in 1874. The trophy is named in memory of the late Peter Covo, a former multi-sport athlete at McGill, who went on to become a professor and rugby coach at the University.

"It was freezing weather with blowing snow throughout," said McGill head coach Eric Van Sickle after the game. "My hands are slowly thawing out but it was much worse for the players than the people on the sidelines (who had more clothing and huddled together for warmth)."

Benaroche, a civil engineering junior, tallied a pair of tries and converted one of his majors. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound front row player snapped a 12-12 saw-off in the 51st minute to put the Redmen ahead 19-12. He also tallied a try and converted it in the final minute of play.

The match started out in blizzard-like conditions with a bitter battle for field position on a cold, windy and snowy afternoon. McGill opened the scoring in just the sixth minute mark when Jamie Wilson, an investment management senior from London, England, touched down in the endzone for a 5-0 lead but Harvard roared back to take a 12-5 lead into halftime.

The remainder of the second half was dominated by McGill with six unanswered tries, scored by Nick Bent of Ottawa, Benaroche, Munir Yalin, a native of Istanbul, Alex Pantis of Beaconsfield, Que., Zack Hazan of Montreal and Benaroche.

Funding for most of the trip was provided by a number of McGill Redmen rugby alumni, including three of whom were in attendance at the game, namely Wayne Calizza, Frank Fleming and Brian Simms.

It was a happy conclusion to a successful McGill season that finished at 8-2 overall, including a 6-1 first-place finish in the RSEQ conference last fall.


SCORING SUMMARY
McGill 45, Harvard 12
(35th Covo Cup Game)

FIRST HALF:
1. McGill: TRY by Jamie Wilson (convert missed), 6:00 (McG 5-0)
2. Harvard: TRY by unknown (convert missed), 25:00 (tied 5-5)
3. Harvard: TRY by unknown (convert made by unknown), 33:00 (HAR 12-5)

SECOND HALF:
4. McGill: TRY by Nick Bent (convert made by Andrew Manson), 42:00 (tied 12-12)
5. McGill: TRY by Daniel Benaroche (convert made by Andrew Manson), 51:00 (McG 19-12)
6. McGill: TRY by Munir Yalin (convert made by Andrew Manson), 60:00 (McG 26-12)
7. McGill: TRY by Alex Pantis (convert made by Andrew Manson), 65:00 (McG 33-12)
8. McGill: TRY by Zack Hazan (convert made missed), 74:00 (McG 38-12)
9. McGill: TRY by Daniel Benaroche (convert made by Daniel Benaroche), 80:00 (McG 45-12)


McGILL LINEUP
1. Patrick Wang
2. Alex Pantis
3. Alex Wang
4. Ryan Robb
5. Michael Nwabufo
6. Felix Grignon
7. Nick Bent
8. Scott Thompson
9. Quentin Dubois
10. Andrew Manson
11. Zack Hazan
12. Jamie Wilson
13. Jerome Neale
14. Michael Modafferi
15. Kyle Makischuk
16. Daniel Benaroche
17. Tom Tyler
18. Munir Yalin
19. Eric Shuell
20. Nicholas Pinkerton
21. Joshua Worden
22. Kaveh Gaynor-Sodeifi

HARVARD LINEUP
1. Nick Carey
2. Dave Mathews
3. Hagen Puller
4. Walker Maeder-York
5. Brian Coryn
6. Daniel Letchford
7. Matt Sciamanna
8. Harry Tanzola
9. Tom Nakata
10. Daniel Polatajko
11. Andrew Soldini
12. Steve Dayneka
13. Dylan Combs
14. Pierce Odonnell
15. Phil Ozuah
16. Akeem Pinnock
17. Kainoa McCauley
18. Adam Harper
19. Bobby Collins
20. Kyler Chase
21. Chris Maquez
22. Jake Petchet
23. Jacob (Bobbie) Mayes

McGILL-HARVARD COVO CUP CHAMPIONS:

1974: McGill won 6-3
1975: McGill won 13-12
1976: Harvard won 27-0
1977: Harvard won 24-10
1978: McGill won 12-8
1979: Harvard won 16-0 (or 19-0)
1980: Harvard won 27-9
1981: McGill won 10-6
1982: McGill won 15-3
1983: McGill won 8-0
1984: McGill won 28-7
1985: McGill won 21-0
1986: McGill won 49-3
1987: McGill won 22-14
1988: Harvard won 9-7
1989: Harvard won (score unavailable)
1990: McGill won 35-0
1991: Harvard won 16-9
1992: McGill won 14-8
1993: Harvard won 14-9
1994: Harvard won 9-7
1995: McGill won 30-7
1996: McGill won 32-25
1997: Harvard won 17-14
1998: Harvard won (score not available)
1999: (no game)
2000: (no game)
2001: McGill won 45-7
2002: Harvard won 17-0
2003: McGill won 37-0
2004: (no game)
2005: (no game)
2006: Harvard won 10-7
2007: Harvard won 22-7
2008: (no game)
2009: McGill won 15-3
2010: McGill won 34-17
2011: (no game)
2012: McGill won 41-30
2013: McGill won 31-7
2014: (no game)
2015: (no game)
2016: (no game)
2017: McGill won 42-12

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012