Wheeling, W. Va. – After opening the 2024 season a week ago on the road, the Wheeling Rugby Purge heads to Bishop Schmitt Field for the first time. The Wheeling University Women's Rugby team starts a string of four straight home games on Saturday, September 7th, when they host Emory & Henry at 7 PM. It will be fans' first time seeing the team live and in action, and the Cardinals are looking to put on a show for their fans.
Last time out, the team competed in their first varsity match in program history when they took on Ohio State. The Buckeyes would score in the first five minutes of play, but Wheeling came storming back, scoring 30 unanswered points. The offense responded on their first possession following Ohio State's score and went off from there. By halftime, the team would add two more tries to their day, leading 15-5 as the team's broke for the locker room. In the second half, it was all Cardinals with two big runs leading to the team's final two tries of the game. After going 0-4 on conversion kicks, the Cardinals got their kicking game going when Marissa Hudson nailed the first Penalty Kick in program history and Bella Gullatta made the first conversion kick as the Cardinals brought the game to its final score of 30-5.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was their captain Ema Tai, who totaled 10 points and two tries on the day. After the Cardinals were able to tie the game, they turned to their captain to get them back out in front. As the game moved to the second half, Tai was once again given the ball and once again took advantage of her opportunity. This time, she sprinted 20 meters down the sideline and touched the ball down to make it a 20-5 Cardinal advantage. Tai was votes as team captains in the preseason and was able to help rally the troops in the team's opener. Head Women's Rugby Coach Ken Pape noted that it was Tai and the rest of the team captains who got together under the goal posts and helped will the team to answer back and go on their eventual 30 unanswered points run.
In the kicking game, the Cardinals struggled early, but found their groove by match's end. The first successful kick came from Marissa Hudson, who put through the team's first ever penalty kick attempt to make it a 23-5 game. Hudson would kick it through from about 10 meters out, securing her first points of the night. On the team's final try, they would get their first conversion kick in program history, courtesy of Bella Gullatta. After scoring a try earlier in the game, Gullatta brought her point total for the evening to seven when she brought the match to its final score of 30-5. After allowing the try in the opening minutes of the match, it was the Cardinal's defense that would hold steady the rest of the night. They held the opposition off the board for the final 75 minutes of play, allowing their offense to battle back.
With the Wheeling Women's Rugby team coming home this week, a big stretch of home competition for the team starts. After playing Emory & Henry at home this week, the team will host each of the next four matches, leading up to Homecoming & Family weekend on Sunday September 29th. With nearly half of their schedule being played at home this season, it gives the team a chance to connect with their home fans and gives them a home field advantage as they push for a spot in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) playoffs. They look to take advantage of this home stretch before hitting the road for two tough road contests at the end of the year.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Wasps will be meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday in a battle between two varsity programs. Emory & Henry kicked off their season on the road a week ago when they traveled to Frostburg State in what was a 39-5 loss. They are coming off a season that saw them go 4-8 overall, including three wins over Warren Wilson as well as a win over Newberry. The Cardinals look to open the all-time matchup strong and keep their season-opening success going.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's match is scheduled for 7 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Play-by-Play by clicking HERE.
