Quinnipiac University
Indiana
QU Women's Rugby Captures 3rd Place in the ACRA Tournament with 55-32 Victory Over Indiana
12/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rugby
Hamden, Conn. – The Quinnipiac women's rugby team secured third place in the nation with a 55-32 victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon. After being down 20-12 at the break, the Bobcat offense caught fire scoring 33 straight points. Quinnipiac closes out the season with an 8-4 overall record.
The Bobcats took a quick 12-3 lead early in the first half off two tries and a successful conversion kick. Indiana capitalized on a penalty kick for their first points of the day. The Hoosiers went on to close out the half on a 17-0 run which included three tries. They led at the half 20-12 and looked as if they would pull away, scoring the first try of the second half to take a 13 point lead.
After the Hoosier score, Quinnipiac tightened their defense and held off Indiana with five straight tries. The Bobcats scored three tries within about six minutes of play. Junior Natalie Kosko (Sebastian, Fla.) found a huge hole in the Hoosier defense and ran by multiple tacklers for a 50-yard try. Less than two minutes later, Kosko converted another big run but this time as she was being brought down, the two-time All-American found teammate Rebecca Haight (Oconomowoc, Wisc.) for the score.
Quinnipiac scored three more times before Indiana could get a stop including a short run up the sideline for sophomore Christie Albers (Castle Rock, Colo.). Shannon Durkin (Oakland, Calif.) followed up the Albers score with a try of her own with under five minutes to play. Leading 50-25, the Hoosiers were able to score one final try late in regulation. Albers answered as time ran out for her second try of the half to make the final 55-32.
After trudging through one of the most demanding and difficult regular season schedules in the country, the Quinnipiac Bobcats stood at 5-2 entering the American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA) postseason tournament. QU went on to take down two tough opponents on their way to the semifinals. The Bobcats defeated Army, 46-17 in the round of 16 at Vassar College before going on to overpower an undefeated Brown University squad, 46-20. QU advanced to the semifinal for the second time in three years. The Bobcats fell in a tough matchup with Penn. State, 35-12.
Penn. State will face defending champion Norwich University in the ACRA Championship today at 2 PM.
