Box Score
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Eighteenth-ranked West Chester University dug itself 17-point hole that it could not dig out of as No. 5 Navy held on for a 17-10 victory over the Golden Rams in the inaugural championship game of the Mason-Dixon Women's Rugby Tournament on Easter Sunday on the campus of University of Virginia.
West Chester (8-3-1) will wait and see if it's body of work this season is good enough to get the Golden Rams into the USA Rugby Tournament next month. West Chester has not reached the national tournament since 2009.
Navy dominated the contest in all facets of the game in the first half while building its 17-0 lead. The effects of a physical match the day before with a strong James Madison squad were evident in the Golden Rams early on. However, a penalty kick by Katie Walston just before the break seemed to rejuvenate West Chester, who trailed 17-3 at the half.
"It took us 30 minutes to get out focus, and by then, we were down by 17," WCU head coach Tony DeRemer said. "But, I am really proud of the way our team fought back from 17 points down against a team of Navy's quality. It was a great match that came right down to the end."
With 10 minutes left in the game, West Chester was awarded a penalty try for repeated penalty infringements against Navy. If a referee feels that a try would have occurred had the repeated infringements not been committed, then they can award a team a penalty try. Walston nailed the conversion following the penalty try, and West Chester was within one score.
The Golden Rams worked their way back down near Navy's tryline in the final moments, but could not get the equalizer.
