GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The West Chester women's rugby team (2-4, 2-2) traveled to Michigan to make its return to the pitch on Sunday afternoon in a National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) semifinal playoff match against Davenport University (7-0), but fell short to the Panthers, 57-7.
Davenport immediately set the tone for the match, after scoring their first try in less than a minute after the commencing whistle. The try was followed-up with a successful conversion to give the Panthers the lead 7-0.
The Golden Rams answered back nearly two minutes later when
Jordyn Melnick (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) scored a try, and
Sara McNicholas (Stony Point, NY/Albertus Magnus) tacked on a conversion to even the score, 7-7, by the end of the fourth minute.
Davenport took the lead back in the 28th minute after meeting the try-zone and topping it off with a conversion, making the score, 14-7.
The Panthers continued their lead for the remainder of the first half scoring two additional trys, both accompanied with a conversion (28-7).
Davenport started the scoring off in the second 40 with a successful penalty kick taken by Ashley Cowdrey that extended their lead to 31-7 in the 47th minute. Cowdrey was the Panther's top-scorer tallying 28 points in the match.
The Panthers scored four more trys and three conversions in the second half to secure their victory.
