Wheeling, W. Va. – Last weekend, the Wheeling University Women's Rugby team (2-1) brought their high-powered offense to Bishop Schmitt Field. It kicked off a six-game home stand for the Cardinals that continues on Saturday, September 20th, when they host Mount St. Mary's at 11 AM. The Cardinal's look to continue leaning on their veterans as they chase down a spot in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) National playoffs for the second season in a row.
Last time out, the Cardinals welcomed in Ohio State University for their 2025 home opener. After receiving their national championship rings the night before, the team showed the combination of high-scoring offense and hard hitting defense that allowed them to capture that national title. Wheeling would get the chance to play a lot of players in the match, with almost every player on the active roster seeing time on the pitch. The Cardinals would get on the board with their first Penalty Kick just three minutes into the game, and got on the board with their first try just eight minutes into the game. The Cardinals would score 27 points in the first 20 minutes of play and by the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals led 27-0. The offense just kept on coming, and by the halftime break Wheeling led 47-0. In the second half, Ohio State would succumb to injuries and and the game would be called in the 54th minute. The Cardinals would go on to win by the final score of 54-0.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Tamzin Boyce, who was one of three Cardinals to score multiple tries on the day. Boyce got the scoring started with her first try of the day in the eighth minute, and she would add another try just five minutes later. Boyce would tie for the team lead with 10 points, and continued her strong start to the 2025 season. She is the only Cardinal this season to score multiple tries in multiple contests this season, and she is the only one who has scored a try in every match played so far. She leads the Cardinals this season with five tries this season, while totaling 25 points on the season. She is just six tries away from her total from the 2024 season, using her speed to break up the sidelines. As the Cardinals continue to chase down a second straight National Title, Bounce will be a big contributor on the team as they continue down their NCR regular season stretch.
The other two Cardinals to score multiple tries in the game were Liz Sinatra and Camarie Brown. Sinatra would be a big part of the Cardinal's offensive success in the first half, scoring the Cardinal's second try of the day. It was her first multi-try effort of the season and her first two tries of the 2025 season. Sinatra got across the try line seven times last season and, like Boyce, uses her speed on the outside to get across the try line. The Cardinal wingers look to continue to be open targets for the team throughout the season. Rounding out the multi-try efforts for the Cardinals was Camarie Brown, who made her collegiate debut against Ohio State. Brown would get across the try line twice in the game, with both scores coming towards the second half. Brown was used in short yardage situations for the Cardinals, taking advantage of defensive stops. On both occasions, she got the ball from about 10 meters out and was able to pound across the line for the score.
As they continue through the 2025 regular season, the Cardinals continue to face tough competition on the pitch. It starts with the team's first-ever meeting with Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, followed by a pair of Allegheny Rugby Union (ARU) opponents in Adrian College and Aquinas College. The Cardinals have the luxury of playing at home throughout the stretch, with each of their next five matches being played at Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals have won each of their first 12 home events, including six of those coming during the Fall 15's season. Wheeling took their first loss in program history two weeks ago against Davenport, but continue to rank as one of the top teams in the NCR. Wheeling is looking to become just the third team in NCR history to win back-to-back National titles and the first to do it in their first two years of competition, and their challenging schedule will set them up for the road ahead.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Mountaineers are meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday at Bishop Schmitt Field. Mount St. Mary's is undefeated to start the season, going 2-0-1 in their first three matches, after coming off a season that saw them go 3-8 in 2024-2025. The Mountaineers are a young team, consisting of 13 freshmen and sophomores, as they look to continue to build their program. Wheeling will welcome them to Bishop Schmitt Field, and look to get the upper hand in the first-ever meeting.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 11 AM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with a Live Play-by-Play by clicking HERE.
