Wheeling, W. Va. - All good things must come to an end and for the Wheeling Women's Rugby team (1-1) that happened on Saturday. The Cardinals traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan to battle Davenport in 15's play and fell to the 2024 National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) runners-up 42-12. Two different Cardinals got across the try line on the day as the Cardinals took their first 15's loss in program history.

Both defenses were hitting hard early on, with neither team being able to get on the scoreboard for 10 minutes. Then, in the 10^th minute of the game, Davenport was able to swing the first try of the day and went ahead 7-0. It was a slow and steady push for the Panthers, and 10 minutes later they were right back on the board and a successful conversion kick would push the lead to 14-0. Wheeling would continue to fight throughout the half, and would break through just before the first-half clock ran out. In the 39^th minute, the Cardinals were set up near midfield and Tamzin Boyce broke down the sidelines for the first try of the day. It was the third try of the season for Boyce and Marissa Hudson added a conversion kick that sent the teams into the locker room with Davenport leading 14-7.

It was a rare halftime deficit for the Cardinals, with the team having only trailed at halftime one other time in the program's history. As they came out for the second half, Davenport's success continued as they got across the try line in the 46^th minute, and kicked through another conversion kick to give the Panters a 21-7 lead. Nine minutes later, it was the Cardinal's turn for a response as they set up just five meters out from the try line. They would slowly push the ball forward and it was Marlies Garrison who pushed the ball across the line for her first try of the season. Hudson would come on to attempt the conversion kick, but this time it would sail wide of the uprights and the score would stand pat at 21-12. The Cardinals would make several more pushes throughout the game, but were unable to find the try line again. Davenport would find the line three more times, and three more conversions would bring the game to its final score of 42-12.

Leading the way for the Cardinals were a pair of try scorers in Marlies Garrison and Tamzin Boyce, who each got across the try line on the day. For Boyce, it was her third try of the season, building off her success from the opener against Penn State. Garrison would score her first try of the season and added five points on the day. The final two points for the Cardinals would come from Marissa Hudson, who went 1-2 on conversion kicks during the day.

The Wheeling University Women's Rugby team returns to action on Saturday, September 13^th, when they host Ohio State University with kick-off at 2 PM.