Wheeling, W. Va. - Due to factors beyond the team's control, it has been three weeks since the Wheeling University Women's Rugby team (4-1) has taken the pitch. On Saturday, the Cardinals are back in action as they welcome regional rival Walsh to Bishop Schmitt Field, with kick-off at 7 PM. The Cardinals are honoring seniors Bella Gullatta and Nisaiah Berkely in a special pregame ceremony, with the chance to clinch a postseason berth with a win over the Cavaliers.
The Cardinals picked up a forfeit win last week at the hands of Aquinas College, but last took the pitch on September 20th against Mount St. Mary's. The Cardinal defense was relentless throughout the night, picking up their fourth shutout in five games and not letting the Mountaineers across the 50-yard line. It took 10 minutes for the Cardinals offense to get going, but once they did they were nearly unstoppable. They rattled off 17 points in 10 minutes and by halftime they had a 34-0 advantage. The scoring just kept coming as the reserves checked into the game, with the Cardinals scoring 28 points over the final 40 minutes. Two Cardinals would score their first career tries in the second half of the game and the Cardinals went on to win 62-0. It was their fourth shutout in five games this season as they continue to roll towards the postseason.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was senior Bella Gullatta, who finished with 17 points on the day as she led the way in the kicking game. She finished an impressive 9-10 on conversion kicks in the effort, while adding a penalty kick in the first half to get her to 17 points on the day. Since joining the Wheeling program last season, Gullatta has been near automatic with conversion kicks, putting through 72 of the 101 she has attempted during that span for a 71.3% conversion kick rate. She has been even more automatic on Penalty Kicks, kicking through nine of the 10 she has attempted over that span. She is the program's all-time leading point scorer with 229 points in two seasons, and is looking to continue that leadership as the season rolls on.
As the subs got their chance to get in the game in the second half, Rafi Barrack took advantage of the opportunity. She would score two tries right off the bat to start the new half, finishing with 10 points in the effort. They were the first two tries of Barrack's career and she has been gaining momentum on the field. Against Ohio State, she had two caused turnovers that led to scores and she looks to continue impacting both sides of the ball. Another freshman who has shown through for the Cardinals this season is Emerson Callegari, who is tied for the team lead with five tries this season. She has scored at least one try in every game the team has played this season, including the final try of the first half against Mount St. Mary's she is part of a strong wing group for the team and looks to use her speed and power to be a scoring threat down the stretch.
With five games remaining on the regular season schedule, the Cardinals are looking to continue building momentum. A win on Saturday would clinch them a spot in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Postseason for the second straight season, giving them a chance to defend their National title. Wheeling entered the NCR tournament as the #1 seed a season ago, and are looking to become just the third team in league history to win back-to-back titles. They will also be taking the time to honor seniors Bella Gullatta and Nisaiah Berkely for their work in a Cardinal uniform over the first two years of the program. They will be honored in a special pregame ceremony and the Cardinals look to send them out with a win.
The Matchup
The Caridnals and Cavaliers are meeting for the fifth time in program history, with Wheeling winning each of the previous two meetings. It will be the first trip to Bishop Schmitt Field for the Cavaliers, with three of those four matches coming at neutral site locations. Wheeling has scored 33 or more points in each of the previous four meetings between the two teams, averaging 39.5 PPG in the series.
Their last meeting during 15's season came back on November 2nd, 2024, in a match that Wheeling would win 33-0. They would also meet three times during the 7's regular season, where they built a rivalry on the pitch. Wheeling would win those contests by scores of 52-0, 35-5, and 38-0, and look to continue the success into 15's season.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game 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.
