Quinnipiac University
Army West Point
QU Women's Rugby Advances To ACRA Quarterfinals With 46-17 Victory Over Army
11/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rugby
Photos of QU vs. Army in ACRA Playoffs
Hamden, Conn. – The Quinnipiac women's rugby team defeated the Army Black Knights 46-17 in the American Collegiate Rugby Association round of 16 on Saturday in Poughkeepsie, New York. The Bobcats were led by Shannon Durkin (Oakland, California) and Maggie Myles (Emmitsburg, Maryland) who each recorded two tries apiece.
With the win Quinnipiac advances to the ACRA quarterfinals. The Bobcats will play the Brown University Bears who took down the Naval Academy in their round of sixteen matchup, 41-7. The game will be played tomorrow on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 PM from Prentiss Field at Vassar College. Quinnipiac women's rugby has never faced the Brown Bears in program history.
The winner of the Regional Final will be one of four teams traveling to Palm Coast, Florida for the ACRA National Semifinals. The semis will take place at the Indian Trails Sports Complex on Saturday, Dec. 6 with the Championship on Sunday, Dec. 7.
The four number one seeds in the tournament are Penn. State in the Mid-West, Brown in the Mid-Atlantic, Northern Iowa in the Midwest, and Norwich in the Northeast region.
On a chilly Saturday afternoon, both defenses looked strong in the opening minutes of play. The Bobcats were able to score the first points about 20 minutes into the first half. Sophomore Christie Albers (Castle Rock, Colorado) captured the first postseason try, followed by an unsuccessful conversion kick for an early 5-0 lead. After a stolen scrum by Quinnipiac, senior Elisa Cuellar fed Rebecca Haight who punched it in from the outside for a second Bobcat try.
Minutes later, QU added an additional five points when Lindey Wise (Franklin, Wisconsin) scored off a crash ball. The Black Knights quickly answered late in the second half, Army was able to score on the outside and secure a successful conversion to cut the deficit to eight at 15-7.
Quinnipiac swiftly extended their lead early in the second frame of action. A scrum was called to QU after freshman Megan Johnson (Olympia, Washington) registered a steal at the tackle. Senior Bobcat scoring leader, Durkin picked up the loose scrum ball and scored her 17th try of the year. Aine McKeever (Derry City, Ireland) converted the kick to give the Bobcats a 22-7 lead.
QU went up 29-7 after Myles ran for a 40 yard try and McKeever added the conversion. The Black Knights scored their second try of the afternoon with less than 20 minutes to play to cut the deficit to 29-12.
With eight minutes to go in regulation, Cuellar scored off a quick tap and go. Senior Jennifer Salomon (Garnerville, New York) was credited with the assist to her teammate. Three minutes later, Myles added her second try for a commanding 41-12 lead.
The Bobcats added their last score when Durkin captured her second try which was followed by Army's third try just before time ended to make the final, 46-17.
Quinnipiac is now 3-1 all-time against Army. The Black Knights took down the Bobcats in their first all-time meeting back in 2011, 65-15. Last season in the second meeting between the two squads, Quinnipiac earned a 39-27 victory over the Black Knights. Durkin led the team with 10 points which came on back-to-back tries in the second half. Five other Bobcats crossed the line for tries. Quinnipiac led at half, 15-8, before Durkin helped extend the lead. The Bobcats took on the Black Knights in their home opener this season on Sept. 6. and ousted Army 50-17, led by Natalie Kosko's three tries and an assist.
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