South Bend, IN. - On Saturday, the Wheeling University Men's Rugby team continued their stretch of tough regular season tournaments as they headed to the Fighting Irish 7's. With several top teams in the tournament field, the Cardinals were challenged ahead of their Collegiate Rugby Championships (CRC) National 7's appearance later this spring. The Cardinals would make it to the Championship game, but ended up as runners-up for the tournament, going 3-1 in the tournament.
Game One: Wheeling 26, Adrian 17
The first game of the day featured Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) action between the Cardinals and Adrian. The Cardinals would turn to Alex Nyamunda to get things started, and he crossed the try line just a minute into the game to give Wheeling a 5-0 lead. Shadreck Mandaza would kick through the conversion kick and the Cardinals were out to a 7-0 lead. The first half scoring would end for the Cardinals with back-to-back tries from Mandaza, followed by a 1-2 effort on conversion kicks that got the team to 19 points before the half. Adrian would push across a try of their own as well as a penalty kick and the teams entered the locker room with the score sitting at 19-10.
The Cardinals would need a score to help create separation and got that courtesy of Lawula Bata. At the 11-minute mark Bata was able to run around the outside and crossed the try line before racing towards the middle to touch the ball down. The Cardinals would turn to Ayoub Jalli for the conversion kick and he sailed the kick through to give the Cardinals a 26-10 advantage with three minutes left in the game. Adrian would look to battle as the time ticked away, and they would break through for one more score. They scored as time was expiring, and sent the conversion kick through to make it a 26-17 game. However, with time having already expired, that brought the game to its final score as Wheeling started the day 1-0 in pool play.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Shadreck Mandaza, who finished with nine points on the night. He would score one try and added two conversion kicks, going 2-3 in the kicking game, the lead the Cardinals. Alex Nyamunda and Lawula Bata each scored a try to finish with five points, while Ayoub Jalli added a conversion kick to pick up the final two points of the day.
Game Two: Wheeling 21, Marian 17
The Cardinals continued their run in Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) play in game two of the day as they took on Marian University. Alex Nyamunda would once again get the day started for the Cardinals, crossing the try line in the opening minutes of play. Shadreck Mandaza was back in the kicking game, and sailed it through to give Wheeling a 7-0 lead. Marian would respond with a try and conversion kick of their own on their next possession, and the game would sit tied at 7-7. The Cardinals would look for the kicker right before halftime and it was Nyamunda who set things up, pitching the ball to Lawula Bata, who took it the rest of the way. Mandaza would add the conversion kick and the teams headed into halftime with Wheeling leading 14-7.
A penalty kick from Marian would start the inning and the Knights got to within four points of the Cardinals at 14-10. After handling the first two conversion kicks on the day, it was Mandaza who would get across the try line for his first try of the contest. Ayoub Jalli would come in for his second conversion kick of the day and the Cardinals would take a 21-10 lead. The Cardinal defense would once again hold strong until the final seconds of the game, keeping Marian to 10 points. They would once again score the final try of the game, and kicked the conversion kick, but once again, the Cardinals were able to hold on, this time for the 21-17 win to advance to the semifinals.
For the second game in a row, Wheeling was led by Shadreck Mandaza, who finished with nine points. He picked up one try and two conversion kicks on the day, bringing his total to three tries and a 4-5 mark on kicks in pool play. Lawula Bata and Alex Nyamunda each added five points, each scoring their second tries of the day, and Ayoub Jalli hit his second conversion kick to finish with two points.
Game Three: Wheeling 19, Kutztown 7
It was a rematch of the 2024 CRC National 7's Championship in game three of the day as the Cardinals met with Kutztown on the pitch. It was one of their veterans that got things going as Michael Muleya got things started with a try, pounding his way across the try line. Ayoub Jalli would handle the early kicking duties, and sailed the ball through the uprights to give Wheeling a 7-0 lead. However, Kutztown would continue to battle and got on the scoreboard before the half with a try and conversion kick of their own to tie the game at 7-7. That would remain the score as the teams headed into the locker room as the Cardinals would look to overtake their opponent.
It would be another veteran that would get the scoring started in the second half as Joseph Iye took the ball. Iye would move his way through the defense, and touched the ball down to add five more points on the board. Shadreck Mandaza would put his first two points of the game on the board on the conversion kick and the Cardinals would get back out in front 14-7. Wheeling had one more try up their sleeves before the game came to an end, as it was Mandaza again slipping through the defense and touching the ball down. The Cardinal defense held strong throughout the second half, not allowing the Golden Bears on the board and Wheeling would hold on for the 19-7 victory.
For the third game in a row, Shadreck Mandaza was the Cardinal's scoring leader, finishing with one try and two conversion kicks to add nine points to the board. However, it would be the veterans that got the team going, with Michael Muleya and Joseph Iye scoring their first tries of the game to finish with five points each. Ayoub Jalli continued to be mister consistent, adding two points, and the Cardinals would advance to the Championship match.
Game Four: Iowa Central CC 21, Wheeling 17
The final match of the day was another BRRC matchup as Wheeling would battle the red hot Iowa Central Community College. The Tartans would get on the board first in the opening minutes and they would sail through the conversion kick to make it a 7-0 game. The Cardinals had an immediate response as Lawula Bata swerved his way through the defense and got across the try line to make it a 7-5 game. However, the missed conversion kick would end up hurting the Cardinals as they missed the first kick and another missed conversion kick after a Alex Nyamunda try would make it 10-7. That would be the score heading into halftime, as the Cardinals looked to hold on during the second half.
Iowa Central would once again come out hot in the second half, getting on the board and kicking through the conversion kick to make it a 14-10 advantage. The Cardinals would turn to their leader to get back on the board as Shadreck Mandaza weaved his way down the sidelines for his first try to make it 15-14. Mandaza would hit the first conversion kick of the day and the Cardinals were staked to a 17-10 game. As the game came down to its final seconds, Wheeling's defense needed one more stop, but the Tartans broke through. They scored with just seconds remaining and finished off the conversion kick to make it 21-17. Wheeling would have one more chance, but they could not get across the try line as the Cardinals fell 21-17.
Shadreck Mandaza rounded out the day as the Cardinal's scoring leader for the fourth time on the day, finishing with seven points (one try and one conversion). Lawula Bata and Alex Nyamunda each finished with five points on the night to round out the tournament.
The Wheeling University Men's Rugby team returns to action on Saturday, April 12th, when they head to the BRRC 7's Tournament.
