In the blustery winds of Chicago, Lincoln Park’s D2 side found themselves locked in a titanic struggle with SSI Irish, a match that ebbed and flowed like the nearby Lake Michigan until the men in white finally broke free in the dying embers of the contest.

The Irish, with the swagger of a team that had tasted victory before, struck early and often. Two well-worked tries in the opening stanza gave them a lead that lesser teams might have found insurmountable. But Lincoln Park, showing the grit and determination that has become their hallmark, refused to wilt under the onslaught.

It was Thomas who provided the spark for the home side, finishing off a move started by Wafer that had more twists and turns than a Dublin alleyway. The mercurial Carso, with a chip kick that Ronan O’Gara would have been proud of, set the stage. Finnegan, like marauding Celtic warriors of old, surged forward, dribbling the ball over the whitewash with all the finesse of Messi, before touching down.

The second half opened with the Irish extending their lead, threatening to turn the contest into a procession. But Lincoln Park, much like the city they represent, refused to go quietly into the night. Carso, with a sidestep that would make Shane Williams blush, carved through the Irish defense like a hot knife through butter, bringing the home crowd to their feet and hope to their hearts.

As the clock ticked past the hour mark, the Irish found another gear, one that Lincoln Park couldn’t match. They pulled away, leaving the home side to chase shadows in the fading light.

But there was still time for one last moment of magic. Husselbee, in his Park swansong, crossed the whitewash to put an exclamation point on a career that has been nothing short of remarkable. It was a try that spoke of defiance in the face of defeat, a reminder that in rugby, as in life, it’s not about how you start, but how you finish.

A word must be saved for young Panzica, thrust into the fray early after Rivera’s unfortunate injury. The lad responded with a tackling display that would have made Sam Underhill proud, proving once again that rugby’s greatest stories are often written by its understudies.

In the end, the Irish prevailed, their late flourish proving decisive. But Lincoln Park, in defeat, showed the kind of spirit that wins championships. On this evidence, their time will come, and when it does, the rugby world had better be ready.

Team: Melody, Rivera, Leyman, Davey, Mulkerin, Fehr, DeBacker, Anderson, Aiello, Carso, Thomas, Cooley, Wafer, Finnegan, Walsh J

Finishers: Panzica, Cullen, Mainquist, Keck, Lyons Z, Nolan, Polansky, Husselbee

Try: Thomas 1, Finnegan 1, Carso 1 Husselbee 1
Con: Walsh 2