WOMEN'S RUGBY

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Host West Chester scored four unanswered trys over a nine-minute span in the first half en route to a 43-20 victory over visiting Norwich in just the second NCAA intercollegiate women's rugby match inside John A. Farrell Stadium Friday night.

West Chester (8-4) handed Norwich (16-1) its first loss of the season while remaining unbeaten in NCAA rugby competition. The Golden Rams defeated Eastern Illinois, 20-19, on Sept. 15, 2007, in the very first NCAA women's rugby match.

"This was a great experience," Norwich head coach Austin Hall commented afterwards. "The atmosphere here was just amazing. There is not one head down on this sideline. I thought we played pretty well as we head into nationals."

The pendulum of momentum opened favoring West Chester as Maureen Rae was tackled right on the try line five minutes into the match. The host Golden Rams penetrated deep into the Cadets' territory thanks to a 20-meter run by Michelle Kirk and a pitch to Sasha Stauffer.

West Chester kept the pressure on, and Colleen O'Brien touched the ball down over the try line at the 6:02 mark to give the Golden Rams the early lead.

Sybil Taunton then tied the match with a 64-meter scamper down the near sideline, diving over the try line at the 16-minute mark.

The Golden Rams used an effective pitch-game to jump back out in front in the 25th minute. Megan Godfrey picked up a loose ball bulled her way over the midfield stripe, tossing to Stauffer, who carried the ball another 10 meters before pitching to Beverly Schmitz.

Schmitz busted into the open field and ran 24 meters for the score. That sparked an explosion of three straight trys over the next four minutes that bulged West Chester's lead to 26-5.

Kate Rada then intercepted a Norwich pitch at the 24-meter line and ran untouched to the try line in the 34th minute to up the Rams' lead to 31-5.

Ashley DeGrasse broke the Cadets' scoring slump when she took a pitch 10 meters out and bolted for the corner of the touch line. She was dragged down about two meters short. But, DeGrasse quickly got to her feet, scooped up the ball she had just set down, and crossed the line.

Drew Groswith caught a kick attempt from Norwich and lumbered 38 meters to paydirt to open the scoring in the second half and give West Chester its largest lead of the contest at 38-10.

Taunton retaliated for the Cadets with a try, her second of the night, two minutes later. 

Michelle Kirk then broke free from 20 meters off a lineout to up the hosts' lead to 43-15, and Yuliya Omarov scored for Norwich in the 72nd minute.