Women's Rugby Prepares to Renew Rivalry with AIC on Friday Night in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ma.- After opening the year with a 41-20 setback at LIU on Sunday afternoon, the West Chester University women’s rugby team (0-1) is finishing its preparations for a Friday night matchup at American International (1-0) in Springfield, Massachusetts tomorrow evening. 

West Chester at American International (AIC)

Game Details: Friday, September 13th I 5 P.M.

Location: Ronald J. Abdow Field (Springfield, Ma.)

Game Links: Watch ($)

Series: AIC leads 6-3 (AIC leads 3-2 in last five)

West Chester Links: News I Roster I Schedule

AIC Links: News I Roster I Schedule

Last Time Out

West Chester opened its 2024 season on Sunday afternoon on Long Island, squaring off against LIU and falling to the Dolphins by a 41-20 final. Trailing 7-0 early, Elly Gorham (Alexandria, Va./Hayfield Secondary) intercepted a pass and raced 70 meters for a try, which, following an Emma Davies (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) conversion, tied the match at 7-7. Davies gave West Chester a 13-7 lead late in the first half with a pair of penalty kicks before LIU rattled off 34 unanswered over a 51-minute span to take a commanding 41-13 lead. Kristen Swavley (Reading, Pa./Exter) halted the run with her first career try, and Keeley Fugazzi (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) hit the conversion for her first career points to cut the deficit to 41-20 in the waning moments of regulation. 

Series History

AIC holds a 6-3 lead in the all-time series vs West Chester, including wins in each of the last three 15s meetings. West Chester last defeated AIC in 15s action in October of the 2021 season, rolling to a 34-12 victory over the Yellow Jackets before falling to them in the NIRA Tier II National Championship game at West Point in late November by a 29-17 final to deny the Golden Rams their second consecutive Tier II crown. 

USA, USA, USA

West Chester boasts a proud women’s rugby history, with perhaps one of its crown jewels being recent alum Autumn Czaplicki, who is competing with the USA Rugby 15s squad and is training with the 7’s team at the National Training Center in Chula Vista, California. Check out this story here for the latest on Czaplicki. 

A Look at AIC

AIC opened its season on August 30 with an 89-5 victory over New Haven in Springfield. Head coach T Fletcher’s group got an early lead in this match and never wavered, cruising to the 84-point victory to lift the lid on the 2024 season. 

Up Ahead

After Friday night’s road trip to Springfield, West Chester will return home on Saturday, September 21, to take on Frostburg State beginning at 1 p.m. in its home opener. West Chester will conclude September with a NIRA visit to New Haven on the 28th before visiting Kutztown and Navy on October 5 and 12 to open October. The Golden Rams will return home for their final two regular season matches, facing Davenport on October 19 at 10 a.m. and Mount St. Mary’s on November 2 at 11 a.m.