WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester University rugby made history on the pitch, defeating the University of Virginia club rugby team 40-21 Saturday morning. The Golden Rams are now 6-0 on the season, the best start to a season in program history dating back to the program's conception in 2005.
How it happened:
- West Chester jumped out to an early lead as Grace Larko (Vandergrift, Pa. / Kiski Area) scored a try just four minutes into the match. | WCU 5-0
- Autumn Czaplicki (Pillow, Pa / Line Mountain High School) added to the score 11 minutes later with a try. Kylie Corless (Wrightstown, Pa / Archbishop Wood High School) completed the conversion to give West Chester a 12-0 lead over Virginia. | WCU 12-0
- Virginia scored five minutes later to cut West Chester's lead down to five with a successful try (conversion successful). | WCU 12-7
- West Chester responded in the 33rd minute as Katie Moritz (Columbia, N.J. / North Warren) recorded a try (conversion successful). | WCU 19-7
- In the 47th minute, Haley Spangler (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg) trucked through the Cavalier defense, making it halfway down the pitch before passing to Corinne Gallagher (Coatesville, Pa. / Coatesville), who would march in to score the try (conversion successful). | WCU 26-7
- West Chester remained in control at the start of the second half as Czaplicki scored her second try (conversion successful) of the day. | WCU 33-7
- Virginia scored a try (conversion successful) in the 59th minute. | WCU 33-14
- Lauren Madalian (Randolph, N.J. / Randolph High School) closed out scoring for West Chester on the day with a try (conversion successful). | WCU 40-14
- The Cavaliers scored a try (conversion successful) in the 76th minute to end the day. | WCU 40-21
Inside the numbers:
- Czaplicki and Corless led the team in scoring, each having put up ten points.
- Czaplicki's two tries have given her the lead in tries for West Chester with seven on the season.
- Corless continues to connect on conversion attempts with her five on the day. She now owns 16 of West Chester's 17 conversions this season.
- The Golden Rams have now outscored their opponents 219-76 this season.
- West Chester's 6-0 start to the season (4-0 NIRA) is the best in program history.
Up next:
The Golden Rams travel to Queens University of Charlotte next week as they battle for first place in National Intercollegiate Rugby Association Tier II. The matchup between the two 4-0 squads will start at 2:00 p.m.
