Wheeling, W. Va. - After a long season full of hard work, the Wheeling University Rugby team (5-4, 3-2) is set for their first taste of National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division I 15's Playoff action. They will host the first round of the tournament on Saturday evening when they take on Belmont Abbey with kick-off scheduled for 6 PM. It will be the first-ever NCR Playoff game played at Bishop Schmitt Field and the Cardinals are looking to earn a spot in the Quarterfinals in front of their home fans.
The Cardinals earned this playoff spot after competing in the first-ever Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) playoff game last Saturday when they hosted Adrian College. It was a battle between the #2 and #3 teams in the conference and that competitive nature played out on the pitch. Neither team was able to cross the try line for the first 38 minutes of the game with the only scoring coming courtesy of four conversion kicks. The Cardinals made three of those conversion kicks and led 9-3 in the later minutes of the half. However, the first try of the night went to Adrian in the 38th minute and they went into halftime leading 10-9. Another try coming out of the half for the Bulldogs put Wheeling in a hole, but they were able to battle back with 24 second half points to pull out the 33-21 victory.
Of the team's 33 points on the night, 18 came courtesy of the kicking game with Ayoub Jalli leading the charge. The junior went 4-5 on three-point kicks on the night, including 3-4 during the first half, while going a perfect 3-3 on conversion kicks for the team. This season, Jalli has converted 17 of his conversion kicks and six three-point kicks for a total of 52 points coming on kicks this season. Add to that his two tries on the season and he has been one of Wheeling's top scorers this season with 62 points over the team's nine contests.
The offense was spread around for the Cardinals in their first playoff game as three different Cardinals scored tries in the win. Aaron Juma continued his successful offensive season, punching in the team's first try in the second half. It was Juma's team-leading 11th try of the season as he continues to be an asset to the Cardinals offense. Juma would assist on the next try, pitching the ball to Rua Karimazondo, who pushed across the try line for his third try of the 2022 15's season. The final try of the evening came from Jose Ultra, who pushed in his second try of the season to ensure the Cardinal's victory.
With the NCR 15's playoffs kicking off on Saturday, four quarterfinalists are locked in in Brown, AIC, Thomas More, and Indiana. The other four spots will be determined based on Saturday's match results. Wheeling will take on Belmont Abbey for the chance to head to Providence, Rhode Island to battle Brown next week. On the other side of the bracket, Siena and Fairfield will battle to face Thomas More, who won the BRRC this season. The final two quarterfinal spots will be taken by the #1 and #2 teams from the Rugby East Conference. Wheeling is looking for their first NCR 15's DI playoff win as they try to bring home a National Championship.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Knights will be meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday when they meet in the NCR DI Playoffs. Belmont Abbey has not lost a match this season, entering play on Saturday with a perfect 5-0 record and claiming the Southern Rugby Conference Championship. They have yet to score less than 22 points in a match this season, offering a tough test for the Cardinals defense as they try to slow down the opposition.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's first-round NCR DI 15's Playoff match is scheduled for 6 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE.
