Wheeling, W. Va. - After finishing the regular season, a perfect 8-0, the Wheeling University Women's Rugby team (8-0) heads into their postseason run on Saturday. National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) released their weekly Top 20 Coaches Poll on Tuesday night, and the Cardinals held the top spot for the fourth week in a row. The Cardinals begin their quest for a National Championship this weekend as they compete in the Allegheny Rugby Union (ARU) Conference Championship.
Wheeling wrapped up their regular season this past week with their fourth shutout victory of the season as they took down Walsh 33-0. It was the team's first win against a nationally ranked opponent, taking down the #5 team in the nation, and the competition proved to be the toughest they have faced all season. Both offenses were shutdown by strong defensive efforts in the first half, and the teams would head to halftime with Wheeling holding a 5-0 advantage. After meeting with his team at halftime, Head Coach Ken Pape got his girls ready and they took off in the final 40 minutes. They put up 28 points over the final 40 minutes of play and the Cardinals would go on to win 33-0 to complete the perfect regular season.
Wheeling's offense has been dynamic throughout the season, with 18 different players scoring at least one try on the season. Leading the way has been Alexis Dallas, who has scored seven tries and totaled 35 points through seven matches this season. Dallas's biggest effort would come in the final home match of the year, where she scored four tries to set the new single-match record. Dallas has been a workhorse on both sides of the ball, leading the team in tackles as well as she sets the tone for the Cardinals. Behind her is kicker Bella Gullatta, who leads the team with 102 points while sitting second with six tries. Gullatta has been reliable on conversion kicks all season long, going 36-47 for a 76.59% conversion kick percentage, and giving the Cardinals crucial insurance points throughout the game.
The Cardinals hold the top spot in this week's poll for the fourth week in a row, being picked ahead of two-time defending national champion Michigan at #2. Northern Iowa holds strong at #3 and Southern Nazarene rounds out the field sitting in the #4 spot. The rest of the NCR Top 20 Coaches Poll looks like this:
The Wheeling University Women's Rugby team returns to action on Saturday, November 9th, when they host #5 St. Bonaventure in the 2024 Allegheny Rugby Union Championship match.
