Story Links Shannon Whypji kead the Cardinals with two tries and 10 points in the contest. It was just the start of a big day for Whypji, giving her team momentum early on. The other 15 points would come from four different players with Tocara Nelson, Jemmley Rivera, and Marissa Hudson all finishing with Five […]
Shannon Whypji kead the Cardinals with two tries and 10 points in the contest. It was just the start of a big day for Whypji, giving her team momentum early on. The other 15 points would come from four different players with Tocara Nelson, Jemmley Rivera, and Marissa Hudson all finishing with Five Points. The Cardinals would advance to the semifinals where they would take on Walsh in game two.
Whypji rounded out her big day with her best performance yet, scoring 15 points. She accounted for all three first half tries to bring her total to five for the day. Marissa Hudson would add 11 points with one try and three conversion kicks. Alexis Dallas would account for the final five points of the day.
Game Three: Wheeling 31, St. Bonaventure 17
As they came out for the second half, Whypji was at it again using her speed to get across the try line. The conversion kick was missed the third time on the day and the Cardinals go up 15-0 on the Bonnies. St. Bonaventure would crack the scoreboard for the first time in the second half with a try and a missed conversion that made it 15-5. After not getting on the score sheet at Brown 7’s, Jemmley Rivera would answer back for the Cardinals with her first try of the day pushing Wheeling’s lead to 20-0. After going 0-3 on conversion kicks, Hudson would end things on a high note getting across the try line for the Cardinals final score of the game. One final conversion kick miss brought the game to its final score of 25-5 to start the Cardinal’s day 1-0.
Wheeling’s offense would keep things going in game two as they met their Regional rivals Walsh. After getting on the board against St. Bonaventure, Jemmley Rivera was back at it in game two, scoring the Cardinal’s first try on their first possession. Bella Gullatta would take over the kicking duties in game two and sailed her first attempt through to make it a 7-0 Cardinal lead. It was a big offensive quarter for the Cardinals, with 19 of their 31 points coming in the first seven minutes. Gullatta was next across the try line, scoring her first of the day, and following it up with a successful conversion kick to make it 14-0 in favor of Wheeling. Alexis Dallas would score the final try at the half, getting a crash just as time expired, and a missed conversion kick would send Wheeling into halftime leading 19-0.
However, the Bonnies came out strong in the second half, scoring back-to-back tries to make it a two-point match at 19-17. It would be Hudson that broke the run with a try and hit her own conversion kick to make it a 26-17 lead. The Cardinals would put one more try on the board as their captain Alexis Dallas would seal the deal. She would get across the try line and bring the game to its final score of 31-17. With the win, the Cardinals took home their second 7’s tournament of the season.
The Cardinals would face a tough test wait from the get-go taking on the host St. Bonaventure. Wheeling got on the board early scoring on their first possession as Tocara Nelson took the ball across the try line for the first points of the day. Marissa Hudson would take the first conversion kick and ended up missing the kick to keep it a 5-0 Wheeling lead. The Cardinal defense was still early, holding the Bonnies off the board over the first seven minutes of play. The Cardinals would score once more before halftime with Shannon Whypji starting what would be a big day. She got across the try line in the final minutes of the half to put the Cardinals up 12-0. The conversion kick was missed and the Cardinals would head into the locker room with a 12-0 advantage.
Game Two: Wheeling 31, Walsh 5
Just as she ended the first half, Dallas would start the second half with her second try of the day. This time, Gullatta would split the uprights on the conversion kick to push Wheeling’s advantage to 26-0. As head coach Ken Pape turned things over to his reserves, Ry Bonds would get her first points of the day with a try to make it 31-0. Gullatta would miss her final conversion kick, bringing Wheeling’s scoring to an end. After holding the Cavaliers all game, Walsh would get their first try in the final seconds of play. It brought the game to its final score of 31-5, with the Cardinals advancing to the championship game. They were set to take on the host St. Bonaventure as they tried to track down a tournament championship.
St. Bonaventure, NY. – The road to the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) National 7’s made a spot in St. Bonaventure, New York on Sunday, with the Wheeling University Women’s Rugby team taking on the St. Bonaventure 7’s Tournament. It was a smaller tournament, but the Cardinals were able to sweep the day, going 3-0, to earn their second 7’s tournament championship of the season. Two of those wins came against the host Bonnies as the Cardinals continue to challenge themselves against tough in region opponents.
The run to the tournament championship would end where it started as Wheeling took on St. Bonaventure in the finals. The opening half was a big one for Shannon Whypji, who accounted for every Wheeling try over the first seven minutes. She got on the board on the Cardinal’s first possession, and Marissa Hudson would hit the conversion kick and the Cardinals would take a 7-0 lead. St. Bonaventure would respond with a try of their own, but Whipji could not be stopped as she added another try, and Hudson would hit the conversion kick to make it 14-7 in favor of the Cardinals. The half would end with another Whypji try and would send Wheeling into the locker room with a 19-5 advantage.
Leading the way in game two was Alexis Dallas, who finished with two tries totaling 10 points. It was her third multi-try game of the spring and she continues to be a force on both sides of the ball. Bella Gullatta added 11 points finishing with one try while going 3-5 on conversion kicks. Jemmley Rivera and Ry Bonds what account for the final 10 points of the day with pooreach scoring one try.
The Wheeling University Women’s Rugby team returns to action on Sunday, April 13th, when they head to Frostburg State.
Game One: Wheeling 25, St. Bonaventure 5
