The West Chester women’s rugby team annihilated Millersville on Saturday with a final score of 37-0 during the Golden Rams’ season opener.The win moved the Golden Rams to 1-0 on the season, while the Marauders fell to 0-2.
The Golden Rams tallied five trys during the first half for a 20-0 advantage. Senior Nicole Puscian scored twice, while captain senior Rachel Fink and sophomore Stephanie Burkhardt each tallied a single. Fink and Burkhardt each then tallied a try during the second half. Sophomore Whitney Hartshorne posted one conversion during the second half.
Millersville and West Chester battled through the first half of the opening to a stalemate. Finally, with 21:14 to go in the first half, Fink tallied a score for 5-0 lead. That lead was soon improved to 10-0 as Burkhardt tallied her first try.
The last eight minutes of the game were action packed with the first four minutes being played on West Chester’s side of the field. Millersville tried fiercely to score but they were met with a dynamic performance from West Chester’s defense.
Within the last three minutes WCU was able to score as McDermott posted her second try of the game, and came close to a secondtry only missing it by less than six inches.
This season could prove to be agood one for the lady Golden Rams, one of only two Division II schools with a varsity women’s rugby program. Their inaugural season lastyear proved successful, finishing with a record of 12-5 overall. The Golden Rams are hoping to improve on that record during the 2005-06 campaign.
WCU will visit Kutztown University on Saturday morning at 11 a.m.