Three-Time Defending National Champion QU Rugby Releases 2018 Schedule
7/23/2018 9:49:00 AM | Women's Rugby
HAMDEN, Conn. — The Quinnipiac women's rugby program, winners of the last three NIRA national titles, released their eight-match regular season schedule for the 2018 campaign, featuring a home-and-home with Harvard and a home battle with Dartmouth in a rematch of last year's national championship.
The Bobcats will open up the year with two straight home matches on Saturdays, hosting Harvard on Sept. 1 and Dartmouth on Sept. 8, both at 1 p.m. Harvard, which reached the NIRA Semifinals last year, has been a frequent opponent for Quinnipiac during sevens season in the spring, but will be meeting for the Bobcats in the fall for the first time since 2013, when Quinnipiac earned a 39-10 win.
Dartmouth will then be returning to Hamden on Saturday, Sept. 8 for a rematch at the same site of last season's NIRA national championship on Nov. 19. In that contest, the Big Green jumped out to a 15-0 lead early, but Quinnipiac bore down and controlled the match the rest of the way, taking a 29-20 decision for their third straight title. The comeback win avenged a regular season defeat for the Bobcats, who fell 22-17 in a defensive struggle on Sept. 9 in Hanover, a place the Bobcats hope to return this season as Dartmouth will serve as the host of the NIRA semifinals and finals this year on Nov. 16-18.
The third weekend of the season will see Quinnipiac take to the road for the first time when it travels to Vermont to meet Norwich, a team it defeated twice last year. The second time came in the NIRA quarterfinals in Hamden, when the Bobcats emerged with a 55-7 win to advance to championship weekend.
After a bye week, the Bobcats will travel to Pittsburgh's Founders Field for a neutral-site match against Notre Dame (Ohio) College on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Quinnipiac last faced the Falcons two years ago at Founders Field and earned a 30-5 win, pulling away after Notre Dame closed to within 10-5 in the second half.
One week later, the Bobcats head to Cambridge for a rematch with Harvard, then return to Hamden to face Brown on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. in another series renewal after the teams did not face each other a year ago. In 2016, the last time the two teams squared off, Quinnipiac had a dominant effort to defeat the Bears 77-7 in Providence.
The Bobcats have their final regular season road trip of 2018 when they head to Penn State for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday, Oct. 20. The two sides have had close battles in each of the last two years, with Quinnipiac pulling away each time, taking a 41-22 win two years ago in Emmitsburg, Maryland and a 36-27 win last year at home, rallying from 15 points down after the Nittany Lions went ahead 20-5 in the first half.
The regular season then closes out for the Bobcats on Saturday, Oct. 27 for a Senior Day matchup with Army West Point at 1 p.m. The Golden Knights were the runner-up the first time Quinnipiac earned the national title in 2015, when the Bobcats prevailed in a close one 24-19 at Brown. A year later, Quinnipiac won a postseason rematch at West Point in the NIRA Semifinals before defeating Central Washington for its second straight title. Last season, the Bobcats won both ends of a home-and-home with the Golden Knights, winning a tight one on opening day at home 42-22 and then dominating the rematch on the road 62-5.
This year's Quinnipiac squad will be trying for a fourth straight national title after graduating several key players who had major roles in the last three championships. Ilona Maher, who won the MA Sorenson Award as the National Player of the Year in 2016-17, recently helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish in the Rugby World Cup Sevens, while Flora Poole, Rebecca Haight, Tayler Schussler and Maggie Wesolowski also earned All-America honors from last year's graduating class.
The Bobcats still have a wealth of talent returning, though, including All-American Emily Roskopf, who will be trying to pull off the rare feat of winning four national titles in four years of college (along with fellow senior Caitria Sands). Junior Mikah Maples also emerged as a significant offensive weapon last season, scoring twice in both the NIRA Semifinals and Finals, while last year's freshman class, led by regular starters Carson Hann, Destiny Henry and Jordan Cowan, had an immediate impact on last year's national title team and will take on even larger roles as sophomores.
To view the full 2018 Quinnipiac women's rugby schedule, go to the following link:
2018 Women's Rugby Schedule
The Bobcats will open up the year with two straight home matches on Saturdays, hosting Harvard on Sept. 1 and Dartmouth on Sept. 8, both at 1 p.m. Harvard, which reached the NIRA Semifinals last year, has been a frequent opponent for Quinnipiac during sevens season in the spring, but will be meeting for the Bobcats in the fall for the first time since 2013, when Quinnipiac earned a 39-10 win.
Dartmouth will then be returning to Hamden on Saturday, Sept. 8 for a rematch at the same site of last season's NIRA national championship on Nov. 19. In that contest, the Big Green jumped out to a 15-0 lead early, but Quinnipiac bore down and controlled the match the rest of the way, taking a 29-20 decision for their third straight title. The comeback win avenged a regular season defeat for the Bobcats, who fell 22-17 in a defensive struggle on Sept. 9 in Hanover, a place the Bobcats hope to return this season as Dartmouth will serve as the host of the NIRA semifinals and finals this year on Nov. 16-18.
The third weekend of the season will see Quinnipiac take to the road for the first time when it travels to Vermont to meet Norwich, a team it defeated twice last year. The second time came in the NIRA quarterfinals in Hamden, when the Bobcats emerged with a 55-7 win to advance to championship weekend.
After a bye week, the Bobcats will travel to Pittsburgh's Founders Field for a neutral-site match against Notre Dame (Ohio) College on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Quinnipiac last faced the Falcons two years ago at Founders Field and earned a 30-5 win, pulling away after Notre Dame closed to within 10-5 in the second half.
One week later, the Bobcats head to Cambridge for a rematch with Harvard, then return to Hamden to face Brown on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. in another series renewal after the teams did not face each other a year ago. In 2016, the last time the two teams squared off, Quinnipiac had a dominant effort to defeat the Bears 77-7 in Providence.
The Bobcats have their final regular season road trip of 2018 when they head to Penn State for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday, Oct. 20. The two sides have had close battles in each of the last two years, with Quinnipiac pulling away each time, taking a 41-22 win two years ago in Emmitsburg, Maryland and a 36-27 win last year at home, rallying from 15 points down after the Nittany Lions went ahead 20-5 in the first half.
The regular season then closes out for the Bobcats on Saturday, Oct. 27 for a Senior Day matchup with Army West Point at 1 p.m. The Golden Knights were the runner-up the first time Quinnipiac earned the national title in 2015, when the Bobcats prevailed in a close one 24-19 at Brown. A year later, Quinnipiac won a postseason rematch at West Point in the NIRA Semifinals before defeating Central Washington for its second straight title. Last season, the Bobcats won both ends of a home-and-home with the Golden Knights, winning a tight one on opening day at home 42-22 and then dominating the rematch on the road 62-5.
This year's Quinnipiac squad will be trying for a fourth straight national title after graduating several key players who had major roles in the last three championships. Ilona Maher, who won the MA Sorenson Award as the National Player of the Year in 2016-17, recently helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish in the Rugby World Cup Sevens, while Flora Poole, Rebecca Haight, Tayler Schussler and Maggie Wesolowski also earned All-America honors from last year's graduating class.
The Bobcats still have a wealth of talent returning, though, including All-American Emily Roskopf, who will be trying to pull off the rare feat of winning four national titles in four years of college (along with fellow senior Caitria Sands). Junior Mikah Maples also emerged as a significant offensive weapon last season, scoring twice in both the NIRA Semifinals and Finals, while last year's freshman class, led by regular starters Carson Hann, Destiny Henry and Jordan Cowan, had an immediate impact on last year's national title team and will take on even larger roles as sophomores.
To view the full 2018 Quinnipiac women's rugby schedule, go to the following link:
2018 Women's Rugby Schedule
Players Mentioned
Scrum Half
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Wing
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Wing/Scrum Half
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Center
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Center/Lock
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Fly Half
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Fullback
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Wing
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Eight
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