Another late second half comeback propels #4 Women's Rugby into Nationals

With the end of the season 40 minutes away, the Women's rugby team refused to quit, scoring 19 unanswered points to stun Radcliff College (8-3) in a game where the winner would go to the national playoffs, and the loser's season would be over. Stonehill (9-2) outplayed the entire first half, reduced its mistakes and began to play as a team in the second stanza. "They really get themselves into problems lately with everyone trying to bail the team out and playing individually," commented Coach Derek Jenesky, "When they put their mind to it and trust each other and play for each other, great things happen."

Trailing 10-0 after getting dominated for forty minutes, the ladies decided to make a stand. Junior Flanker Ashley George burst down the sidelines in the 58^th minutes, getting tackled five meters away, enabling junior scrumhalf Maeghan Kilfoil to quick tap off the ensuing penalty. Kilfoil beat two defenders to the corner flag touching down for an unconverted try that cut the deficit in half. Constant pressure and a renewed team effort, led the purple and black into the lead as junior wing Deborah Caruso raced untouched down the sideline after some nifty passing to score under the post from thirty meters out. Junior fly-half Laura Fischer would convert the score and with 8 minutes left the ladies found themselves improbably in front 12-10. Junior lock Madeline Schissel would barge over from 3 meters out in injury time and Fischer would again convert leaving the final score at 19-10. "A tale of two halves," added Jenesky "We need to see that team we saw in the second half as we go forward into the national playoffs if we have any hope of moving on."

The ladies, last year's national finalist, will be the #14 seed and will play the #3 seeded team out of the Pacific, in the national playoffs on the weekend of April 16-18^th.