Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Women's Rugby team (3-0, 0-0) was back on Bishop Schmitt Field on Saturday for the second of four straight home matches. It was another big day for the offense, who went over the 50-point mark for the second match in a row, picking up a 66-0 win. It was the first shutout for the program in their third game as they moved to 3-0 on the season.

From the get-go it was clear that defense would rule the day as both teams would turn the ball over on each of their first possessions. It was a game full of big runs for the Cardinals, and they broke through in the second minute of play. Alexis Dallas would stiff arm her way through the Bearcats defense and across the try line to give Wheeling a 5-0 lead. Bella Gullatta would make the first of six conversion kicks on the day as the Cardinals took a 7-0 lead. Each time the Bearcats went out on offense, the Cardinal defense did not give them much room to run. The defense caused six turnovers on the day as they finished off their first shutout in program history. The offense would benefit as they went fast and furious throughout the day.

The next Cardinal try would come six minutes later as Alli Davis found the try line for her first of the season and a Gullatta conversion kick brought the score to 14-0. The offense once again spread the ball around throughout the game, and in the first half they scored four tries by four different players. Up next in the 18th minute was Liz Sinatra, who used her speed on the outside to fly around the defense and get across the try line. Gullatta would miss her only conversion kick in the first half and Wheeling had a 19-0 advantage. The power running continued for the Cardinals and Jill Stewart showed off that power just five minutes later. She ran through a pair of Bearcat defenders to get across the try line, and Gullatta redeemed herself with the conversion kick to bring the score to 26-0.

Wheeling would have one more offensive attempt in the first half as Gullatta attempted a drop goal for the second week in a row but unfortunately the kick sailed wide as the team went into the locker room with a 26-0 lead. Gullatta was 3-4 on conversion kicks on the half and looked to continue that success into the second half. As they came out for the second half, the Cardinal offense was just as fierce with Gullatta leading the charge. She scored the first try of the game's second half in the 54th minute and followed with a successful conversion kick that brought the score to 33-0. Like their opener against Emory & Henry, the Cardinals were able to bring in their subs for the second half and they continued the work of the starters from the first half. 

The big runs continued when Joelle Taylor, of as he teammates call her "monster" scored her first career try. She ran with defenders wrapped around her for nearly 10 yards before crashing into the try zone to make it 38-0. Tatyana Watson kept the string of first career tries going in the 68th minute and Gullatta would get the conversion kick through to make it 45-0. Marlee Garrison would be the start of the 70th minutes, getting across for two tries in ten minutes. Her first came at the 71 minute mark, followed by a Marissa Hudson conversion kick, and her second followed in the 77th minute as the Cardinals went up 56-0. Just like last week, it was Linda Dang who would finish off the day, scoring her second try of the season, and Gullatta kicked through the conversion to give Wheeling the 66-0 win.

Gullatta once again led the Cardinal's offensive effort, finishing with 15 points, including a try and seven conversion kicks. Marlee Garrison would finish off her first multi-try effort of the season, while Linda Dang, Tatyana Watson, Jill Stewart, Alexis Dallas, Alli Davis, and Joelle Taylor all added tries on the day. Garrison finished behind Gullatta with 10 points as the Cardinals improved to 3-0 on the season.

Wheeling returns to action on Saturday, September 21st, when they host Penn State with kick-off at 7 PM.