September 25, 2015
Quinnipiac Women’s Rugby Beats Notre Dame College
Photo: Quinnipiac Athletics
Quinnipiac Athletics Release:
Sep. 24, 2016 Women’s Rugby
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Senior fullback Maggie Myles (Emmitsburg, Md. – pictured) accounted for all 10 of the match’s first-half points with a pair of tries, and the defending national champion Quinnipiac women’s rugby team broke open a defensive struggle late in the second half to capture a 30-5 win over Notre Dame College on Saturday evening at Founders Field, increasing its winning streak to 10 matches.
With the win, Quinnipiac improves to 4-0 this season, after winning the final six matches in 2015, including the national championship match over Army West Point. Notre Dame College slips to 1-1 on the year with the loss after beating Norwich in its first contest.
The Falcons did earn a second half try to close the lead to 10-5 and snap Quinnipiac’s streak of 255 minutes without allowing its opponents into the try zone. The Bobcats have now outscored their opponents 153-8 since trailing Army West Point 19-17 at the half on opening day (Sept. 1) in a rematch of last year’s championship (before winning 32-19).
Myles had both tries in a defensive first half to give the Bobcats a 10-0 lead heading into the break. Both of her tries were assisted by freshman eight Mikah Maples (Mowequa, Ill.), with one coming early in the match and the second coming with 10 minutes left until the break.
Quinnipiac had to defend its goal line on several occasions in the first half to keep Notre Dame off the scoreboard and did so successfully, as props Carlyn Plowman (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Jessica Maricich (Lansing, Ill.) and Karee Helgerson (Portland, Ore.) helped anchor the defensive effort. The 10-0 halftime score stretched Quinnipiac’s streak to three full games (240 minutes) without allowing a try, since Army West Point scored late in the first half on opening day.
Notre Dame again got down near the Quinnipiac goal line early in the second half, but sophomore wing Emily Roskopf (Pleasanton, Calif.) came up with a key tackle to force the Falcons out of bounds and give possession back to the Bobcats. The tryless streak finally ended at 255 minutes for Quinnipiac when Notre Dame made it into the try zone with 26 minutes remaining to cut the lead to 10-5. The Bobcats had the answer six minutes later, though, as senior flanker Hailey Wyatt (Breckenridge, Colo.) scampered up the sideline off a pass from junior scrum half Mason Johnson (Olympia, Wash.) to restore the ten-point lead at 15-5.
With 10 minutes left, Quinnipiac salted the win away with two quick tries. Maricich found her way in over the line after Helgerson carried inside the 10 to push the lead to 20-5. Then, right off the ensuing kickoff, junior center Ilona Maher (Burlington, Vt.) caught the ball and offloaded it to junior center Flora Poole (Christchurch, New Zealand), who rambled over 50 meters for another try and a 25-5 lead.
Quinnipiac added one final score in the final minute, as Notre Dame turned the ball over in its own end with Maples securing the possession for the Bobcats. Helgerson then found her way into the try zone for the second week in a row to close out the game 30-5.
Quinnipiac will be able to take advantage of a bye week to rest up before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 8 for a road match against Brown.
