Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Rugby team is on a roll having not allowed a point to any of their opponents over their last four games as they picked up a tournament win at the WVU "Chicken 7's." they look to take that momentum on the road with them as they head to the Tropical 7's with the opening games on Friday beginning at 10 AM. That will be followed by Quarterfinal play on Saturday, April 16th, where the Rugby team will have three more matches as they try to secure their fourth tournament victory in their fifth seventh tournament of the season.
Last time out, the Cardinals headed down to Morgantown, West Virginia, where they played four games as part of the WVU "Chicken 7's." While they put up a total of 189 points over their four games, it was the defense that took center stage as they didn't allow a point to any of their four opponents. It was the first time in program history that the team shutout an entire 7's tournament and Head Coach Mike Geibel was proud of his team's defensive effort. In his postgame comments, he noted how rare it was to shutout an entire tournament and praised his team's defensive effort.
With the defense clicking on all cylinders, the offense had a chance to shine as sophomore Ayoub Jalli and freshman Stanley Giani led the way on the pitch. Giani was held off the board over the first game of the day but turned it on when his team needed it the most. He scored a pair of tries in the win over Frostburg State and bounced back with three tries in the finals against Slippery Rock. The freshman totaled a team-high six tries on the day for 30 points and was a big key for his team's success on the day.
After the tries were scored, things turned to the kicking game where Ayoub Jalli took over and was a reliable force all day. His best performance came in the tournament's championship game where he went a perfect 7-7 on conversion kicks. Throughout the four games, Jalli was responsible for five tries while making 17 conversion kicks to total 59 points across the four-game effort. Chief Chipfumbu also got in on the conversion kick success, making six kicks across his two games while the aforementioned Giani added three conversion kicks on the day.
The Cardinals now play their first two-day tournament of the year at the Tropical 7's as they go for their fourth 7's tournament championship on the season. They open up with three tough opening day games on Friday as they take on the USA Rugby South Selects before taking on the University of Cincinnati and the University of Florida in their final two games. There will be plenty of tough Division I Rugby competition at the event and Wheeling will continue to play for the chance to qualify for the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) 7's Collegiate Playoffs at the end of May.
The Matchups:
USA Rugby South Selects: This will be the first ever matchup between Wheeling and the South Selects as they kick off the Tropical 7's tournament. The USA Rugby South Selects are a group of players picked by USA Rugby South to compete as an all-star team as they look to run through the tournament. Wheeling is hoping to get the best of the South Selects and start their tournament off with a bang from game one.
The University of Cincinnati: Friday will mark the third meeting all time between the Cardinals and Bearcats with Wheeling going 2-0 in those previous meetings. The Cardinals have averaged 57 points per game against the Bearcats and have won once in Wheeling and once on the road in Cincinnati. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since August 29th, 2015, and their first meeting in 7's season since April 20th, 2013.
The University of Florida: Friday will mark the first ever meeting between the Cardinals and Gators to round out day one of competition. The Gators come into the contest for their second 7's tournament of the season and bring with them a strong offensive attack. The Cardinals will look to slow down the Gators attack and continue their string of success in 7's play.
The Details
Wheeling's first game of the day from Tampa, Florida is scheduled to begin at 10 AM against the USA Rugby South Selects. You can watch all the games live throughout the tournament by clicking HERE.
