Wheeling, W. Va. - The Atlantic Coast Rugby Conference (ARC) schedule officially kicked off last week as the Cardinals started off strong with a win. Wheeling Men's Rugby is bringing conference action to Bishop Schmitt Field for the first time as an ARC member on Saturday when they host Walsh with kick-off at 1 PM. Wheeling will look to continue their hot start to conference play as they battle one of their regional rivals on their home field.
Last time out, the Cardinals kicked off their ARC schedule on the road when they traveled to Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Early on, it was the Cardinal offense leading the way as they surged for 17 unanswered points to start the game. They would concede their first try in the final minutes of the first half, but entered the locker room ahead 17-7 on the scoreboard. As they came out for the second half, the Cardinal offense would not let up, adding 14 straight points and extending their lead even further to 31-7. However, Kutztown would not go down quietly, coming back on a 10-point surge of their own that got them to within 31-17 with 10 minutes to play. The Cardinals would get the score that sealed the game with five minutes remaining on the clock, and they went on to win their inaugural ARC match 36-17.
History was made on the field Saturday, courtesy of Wheeling Men's Rugby senior Alex Nyamunda. Nyamunda entered the game having already tied the career 15's try record and in the second half he would stand alone atop the leaderboard. He finished with two tries on the day, setting the new record with 23 career tries during the fall 15's season. He has now scored multiple tries in each of the Cardinal's first three matches of the season, including two in back-to-back games. He leads the Cardinals in both tries (8) and points (40) in the early portion of the season, after scoring 11 tries and 55 points a season ago. With five more games remaining on the regular season schedule, Nyamunda's next goal to chase down is the single-season tries record, which he fell just one try short of a season ago.
Another Cardinal who has been stepping up on the offensive side in his second season with the team is Panashe Mugorogodi. After missing the first game of the season, Mugorogodi burst onto the scene against the University of Rio Grande, scoring four tries to get his season started. He continued that run of success last time out, finishing with two tries in the conference opener against Kutztown. It brings his total to six on the season, ranking him second behind Nyamunda. After the first game of the season, Taku Musingwini has taken over the kicking duties, and has helped score some key points for his team. This past week, he went 4-5 on conversion kicks and, for the season, sits at 9-12 in conversions and 3-4 on penalty kicks. Musingwini will continue taking those opportunities for the Cardinals as they move through their conference schedule.
After picking up the win to start their ARC schedule, the Cardinals will get a good taste of their home field down the stretch. Wheeling will be at home for each of their next three games, with two of those being ARC match-ups. Wheeling has historically played well on their home pitch, going 7-0 at Bishop Schmitt Field in 2024, while winning their first home game earlier in the season. The Cardinals will split their final four conference games of the season, with two of those coming at home over the next two weeks. Wheeling is looking to take advantage of their two early home games and set themselves in good position down the stretch.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Cavaliers are meeting for the first time in program history when they meet on Saturday afternoon. Walsh is in its second season as a men's rugby program, after inheriting the Notre Dame College's Men's Rugby team following their closure. The Cavaliers sit at 1-1 on the young season and are coming off a year that saw them go 4-6 in their inaugural season. Wheeling is looking to open up the all-time match with a win as they welcome them to Bishop Schmitt Field.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Play-by-Play by clicking HERE.
