Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Women's Rugby team (1-0) opened their 2025 season with an exclamation point last week at Penn State. On Saturday, the Cardinals will continue their season opening road trip as they travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan to battle Davenport at 11 AM. The Cardinals look to continue their success in both phases of the game before they come home for their opener next week.
In their week one matchup, the Cardinals would take on Penn State on the road after the two teams were locked in a close battle a season ago. It took just five minutes for the Cardinals to get on the board, as a pair of penalty kicks would have them staked to a 6-0 advantage. It would take a bit longer for the team to cross the try line for the first time, with the Cardinals making it in the 19th minute, and they would never look back. They scored 33 first half points, getting across the try line three times in the first half, and led 33-0 heading into the break. For as strong as the Cardinal offense was early, they stepped their game up even more in the second half. The Cardinals would add 55 points over the final 40 minutes of play, with two different Cardinals scoring three tries in the half. The defense was able to complete the shutout, not letting Penn State into their offensive zone, as they went on to win 87-0.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was senior Bella Gullatta, who put together a record-breaking effort. She broke the team's single-match scoring record, putting up 37 points, with a lot of that work coming in the kicking game. It was Gullatta who got the scoring started with back-to-back Penalty Kicks as part of a 3-3 day in that department. Her success continued as the Cardinals went into conversion kicks, where she went 9-12 (75%), building on her efficiency in that department from last season. She rounded out her big effort by getting across the try line twice in the effort. Gullatta was the Cardinal's points leader in their inaugural season, scoring 170 points through the 2024 season, and she looks to continue to be that leader for the Cardinals down the stretch.
Behind Gullatta's effort, the Cardinals had two different players that scored three tries on the day. The first was Emerson Callegari, who made her collegiate debut in the match. She would score the team's first try of the season in the 19th minute, giving Wheeling a 13-0 advantage. Her final two tries of the game would come in the second half, as she helped round out the Cardinal's effort. The other three try scorer was Shannon Wypji, who scored all three of her tries in the game's second half. Whypji joined the Cardinals during last year's 7's season, and made an immediate impact, scoring nine tries and totaling 47 points in 2025. As she heads into her first 15's season with the team, she already sits as the team's leading try-scorer and looks to build on that success throughout the year.
Wheeling wraps up what is a two-game road trip to start their 2025 15's schedule, before beginning a long run at home beginning next week. In 15's play, the Cardinal's offense has been lethal, scoring 50 or more points seven times in the first 13 games of program history. The Cardinals are a perfect 13-0 in 15's play dating back to last season, and were able to record their fifth shutout in program history at the event. During the 2024 regular season, the Cardinals averaged 34 PPG on the road and did not exceed the 50-point mark. Their opener against Penn State was the first time they passed the 50-point mark on the road and a win on Saturday would help them build momentum for the upcoming six-game homestand as they head down the stretch.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Panthers will meet for the first time in program history on Saturday when they meet at 11 AM. Davenport is coming off an impressive 2024 15's season that saw them advance to the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) National Championship match. They finished the season 4-3-2, and met American International College in the National title game. The Cardinals are looking to open the all-time series with a win as they continue their 2024 National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) National Title defense.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 10 AM inside the DU Turf Field on the campus of Davenport University. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE.
