Wheeling, W. Va. - On Thursday, National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) released their weekly poll, and the Wheeling University Rugby team ranked 15^th on the list! The Cardinals are coming off a tie with D1A program Davenport University in their last game, helping them climb the rankings as they continue to battle through the 2021 season.

In that game against Davenport, Wheeling had to fight back after being down 16-10 at halftime, after scoring on three three-point kicks. As the game moved to the second half, Wheeling found their groove, scoring three tries and two conversion kicks. Rua Karimazondo scored the go-ahead try with just four minutes left on the game clock, and Wheeling had a 29-26 lead. However, the Panthers would move the ball down the field and tied the game with a three-point kick just as time was running out.

The tie moved Wheeling to 4-2-1 on the season, and helped them jump five places in the poll, after finishing 20^th overall last week. Wheeling's offense helped them battle back in the game as they continue to move the ball well down the field. They have scored a total of 283 points this season, while allowing opponents to score just 98 points.

Head Coach Mike Geibel has been impressed with his team's play this season, and says the step up in the standings is a big step forward as the program and its players continue to grow.

"We are excited to be gaining momentum in both the rankings and the coach's poll," said Geibel. "We have been building upon each week this entire season as we go through the schedule. This last weekend's performance against Davenport was a good match-up for us, maybe our most complete of the year. We still have a few things to fix, but I'm happy with where we're at heading into the last week of the regular season."

The Wheeling University Rugby team returns to the pitch this Sunday when they take on Alderson Broaddus at 3 PM. You can watch the game live on mountaineast.tv.