Women's Rugby Announces 2013 Schedule
8/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rugby
HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac University women's rugby head coach Becky Carlson announced the team's 2013 season schedule on Thursday with the Bobcats looking for a second straight conference championship and a trip back to the USA Rugby National Championships. Quinnipiac claimed third place in the tournament last year, compiling a 15-1 record by the end of the season.
The Bobcats will see several news faces on the field this year, as the squad transitions into a new group of constituents in the Northeast Rugby Conference. The league includes Division I programs in the northeast region and allows Quinnipiac to 
compete against some of the top teams in the nation.
"Our move to the Northeast Rugby Conference has us matched against some of the toughest college teams in the country, including our fellow varsity member Norwich, who finished second at Division I nationals back in May," said Carlson, who enters her third year at helm of the program. "We are excited about our elevation to Division I in such a short tenure of the program. We foresee every game to be a great challenge that our Bobcats will meet with great energy and enthusiasm."
The schedule certainly doesn't present any favors for the Bobcats early on, as Quinnipiac plays five out of its first six games away from home. Quinnipiac opens the season of Aug. 31 at Eastern Illinois against a team that the Bobcats defeated for the first time last year. After that, Quinnipiac heads to Colorado Springs to face Air Force in a non-conference clash at Glenwood Park.
The Bobcats then prepare for two marquee matches at Norwich (Sept. 14) and at Harvard (Sep
t. 17) – two fellow varsity programs. The conference-opener against Norwich can be seen live on the Northeast Sports Network with all the action starting at 12 p.m. The showdown with Harvard will mark the second ever match between two Division I NCAA women's rugby programs.
Three weeks into the season, Quinnipiac welcomes American International College (Sept. 21) for its 2013 home-opener. The Bobcats will look to extend its home-unbeaten streak to eight straight games - a span that dates back to October of 2011.
After a road trip to University of Virginia (Sept. 28), Quinnipiac returns home for four consecutive games on Mount Carmel Campus. The Bobcats take on Northeast Rugby adversaries Army (Oct. 5), UMass (Oct. 12), and intrastate rival UConn (Oct. 19), before hosting Senior Day on Oct. 26 against Eastern Illinois. The Bobcats were undefeated (6-0) last year in Hamden and haven't suffered a loss since October of 2011. The Bobcats' regular-season finale features a trip to West Chester University (Nov. 2) for a showdown with the Rams.
With the regular season in the rearview mirror, the Northeast Rugby Conference Playoffs will take place on the weekend Nov. 9-10. The tournament features the league's top four teams in a single-elimination format with the winner to be crowned champion.
2013 Quinnipiac Women's Rugby Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time |
| Aug. 31, 2013 | Eastern Illinois University | Lakeside Rugby Field - Charleston, Ill. | 1 PM |
| Sept. 7, 2013 | at Air Force | Glenwood Park - Colorado Springs, Colo. | 12 PM |
| Sept. 14, 2013 | at Norwich University * | NU Dog River Rugby Pitch - Northfield, Vt. | 1 PM |
| Sept. 17, 2013 | at Harvard | Cambridge, Mass. | TBA |
| Sept. 21, 2013 | at American International College (AIC) * | QU Rugby Field - Hamden, Conn. | 12 PM |
| Sept. 28, 2013 | at University of Virginia | Madison Bowl Field - Charlottesville, Va. | 12 PM |
| Oct. 5, 2013 | Army * | QU Rugby Field - Hamden, Conn. | 12 PM |
| Oct. 12, 2013 | University of Massachusetts * | QU Rugby Field - Hamden, Conn. | 12 PM |
| Oct. 19, 2013 | University of Connecticut * | QU Rugby Field - Hamden, Conn. | 12 PM |
| Oct. 26, 2013 | Eastern Illinois University | QU Rugby Field - Hamden, Conn. | 12 PM |
| Nov. 2, 2013 | at West Chester University | Rugby Pitch - West Chester, Pa. | 12 PM |
| Nov. 9, 2013 | at Northeast Rugby Conference Playoffs | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 7, 2013 | at College Championship Final Four | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 8, 2013 | at College Championship Finals | TBA | TBA |
Home Games in Bold to be Played at QU Rugby Field on Mount Carmel Campus
* - Denotes Northeast Rugby Conference Game
Student-athletes, parents and fans can download the QU Athletics schedules to your laptop and mobile devices for free by clicking in the iCalendar link at the bottom of each sport's homepage or the master schedule page. Fans can also follow Quinnipiac Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@QUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates.
