Army West Point Athletics
Saturday, September 12
West Point, NY
12 PM
Army West Point
vs
Quinnipiac
Women’s Rugby Hosts Quinnipiac in Home Opener
September 11, 2015 | Women's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Returning to Anderson Rugby Complex for the first time in the 2015 season, the Army West Point women's rugby team will host conference foe Quinnipiac in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Kickoff is set for noon with the men's team to follow at 2 p.m.
TICKETS & PARKING
Admission to Anderson Rugby Complex is free to the public. Tickets are not required. Fans are encouraged to park along the fence line surrounding Anderson Rugby Complex on Upton Road. Parking will also be available along Upton Road by Shea Stadium and Gillis Field House. Only authorized and handicapped vehicles will be permitted to park inside of Anderson Rugby Complex.
HOW TO FOLLOW
A live stream of the game will be provided by Knight Vision, with Zack Daly on the call. Fans can purchase a 24-hour pass to Knight Vision for $6.95, a monthly subscription for $9.95 or a yearlong plan for $79.95. Follow the link here to purchase a subscription.
As always, fans can visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_WRugby for live updates.
THE GAME
The Army West Point women's rugby team will make its home debut as they host conference rival Quinnipiac at Anderson Rugby Complex in game one of a doubleheader with the men. The Black Knights enter the game with a record of 1-0 after claiming a 29-26 victory over American International College last weekend on the road.
"Quinnipiac scores a lot of points," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "Last year they scored 96 points and we only scored 34 so if they get on a roll they're going to be really tough. Again, it's another really high ranking team that we're playing against and that's going to bring out the best in us. We've got to knuckle down and do some hard work. We've got to stop them but we've also got to score points as well. It's going to be exciting. We're looking forward to having it here as the opening game at Anderson so that should be fun for everyone."
LAST TIME OUT
The Black Knights opened the 2015 season with a 29-26 victory over conference foe American International College.
"It was awesome," added LeClerc. "It was really important for the program to get off to a good start. It was good to get up there and get a win, even if it was just by three points. We held on to the ball and we looked after it fairly well and we managed to come away with a good win. The girls really knuckled down and it was a good, hard game to win, especially on the road.
"Last weekend helped us with confidence. Confidence in each other, confidence in their preseason conditioning, and I think, more of a belief in themselves that they have been working hard and that hard work has been paying off."
Army got on the board first as Becca Stipp recorded a try in the third minute. A successful conversion from Ari Efaw put the Black Knights up by a mark of 7-0 early on.
Hannah Whisnant posted her first career try in the ninth minute, as Efaw again converted the kick, and Army took the 14-0 lead.
AIC rattled off two straight tries and successful conversions to tie the game at 14-14 through 33 minutes of action.
Stipp answered in the waning minutes of the first half, recording a try to send Army into the break with a 19-12 advantage.
The Yellow Jackets came out hot in the second half, recording a score in the 47th minute and successfully booting the kick to tie the game up at 19-19.
Adding to her points from the kicking game, Efaw posted a try in the 54th minute to put the Black Knights up 24-19. Lindy Clark would respond in the 75th minute to give the Cadets the 29-19 advantage.
AIC made a push late in the game, scoring in the 78th minute and adding the conversion to cut the Army lead to 29-26, but the Black Knights defense remained strong, as Army held on for the victory.
LAST MEETING
The two teams last met in 15s action on Nov. 15, 2014, when Quinnipiac claimed a 46-17 victory in the American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA) Sweet Sixteen in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Army trailed just 15-7 at the half, but five second-half tries from the Bobcats sealed their fate. It was the second victory of the season for Quinnipiac over Army.
WHO TO WATCH: NICOLE HEAVIRLAND
Switching to rugby from basketball in the spring of 2015, yearling Nicole Heavirland has made an immediate impact for the Black Knights. A USA Rugby All-American, Heavirland paced the 7s squad with 107 points, recording 12 tries, 41 conversions and a penalty kick.
She helped lead the Black Knights to the ACRA 7s National Championships, en route to being named the tournament's MVP. Heavirland spent her summer with the U.S. Women's National team, competing in three matches with nation's top talent.
Heavirland will make her debut in the season's home opener, competing in her first season of collegiate 15s action at the fly half position.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights will hit the road for three matches, traveling to Norwich for a meeting with the Cadets on Sept. 19 and heading to Penn State for a pair of games with Lindenwood and the host Nittany Lions on Sept. 25 and 27, respectively.
"If you're going to be serious about the game you've got to play against the best," said LeClerc. "If you want to get better you've got to play against the best so that's what we strive to get and we know that every game is going to have something on it. There are not easy ones. It's important for their development and the confidence moving forward."
Army will return to Anderson Rugby Complex on Oct. 10 as they host a rematch with American International College at 7 p.m.
Kickoff is set for noon with the men's team to follow at 2 p.m.
TICKETS & PARKING
Admission to Anderson Rugby Complex is free to the public. Tickets are not required. Fans are encouraged to park along the fence line surrounding Anderson Rugby Complex on Upton Road. Parking will also be available along Upton Road by Shea Stadium and Gillis Field House. Only authorized and handicapped vehicles will be permitted to park inside of Anderson Rugby Complex.
HOW TO FOLLOW
A live stream of the game will be provided by Knight Vision, with Zack Daly on the call. Fans can purchase a 24-hour pass to Knight Vision for $6.95, a monthly subscription for $9.95 or a yearlong plan for $79.95. Follow the link here to purchase a subscription.
As always, fans can visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_WRugby for live updates.
THE GAME
The Army West Point women's rugby team will make its home debut as they host conference rival Quinnipiac at Anderson Rugby Complex in game one of a doubleheader with the men. The Black Knights enter the game with a record of 1-0 after claiming a 29-26 victory over American International College last weekend on the road.
"Quinnipiac scores a lot of points," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "Last year they scored 96 points and we only scored 34 so if they get on a roll they're going to be really tough. Again, it's another really high ranking team that we're playing against and that's going to bring out the best in us. We've got to knuckle down and do some hard work. We've got to stop them but we've also got to score points as well. It's going to be exciting. We're looking forward to having it here as the opening game at Anderson so that should be fun for everyone."
LAST TIME OUT
The Black Knights opened the 2015 season with a 29-26 victory over conference foe American International College.
"It was awesome," added LeClerc. "It was really important for the program to get off to a good start. It was good to get up there and get a win, even if it was just by three points. We held on to the ball and we looked after it fairly well and we managed to come away with a good win. The girls really knuckled down and it was a good, hard game to win, especially on the road.
"Last weekend helped us with confidence. Confidence in each other, confidence in their preseason conditioning, and I think, more of a belief in themselves that they have been working hard and that hard work has been paying off."
Army got on the board first as Becca Stipp recorded a try in the third minute. A successful conversion from Ari Efaw put the Black Knights up by a mark of 7-0 early on.
Hannah Whisnant posted her first career try in the ninth minute, as Efaw again converted the kick, and Army took the 14-0 lead.
AIC rattled off two straight tries and successful conversions to tie the game at 14-14 through 33 minutes of action.
Stipp answered in the waning minutes of the first half, recording a try to send Army into the break with a 19-12 advantage.
The Yellow Jackets came out hot in the second half, recording a score in the 47th minute and successfully booting the kick to tie the game up at 19-19.
Adding to her points from the kicking game, Efaw posted a try in the 54th minute to put the Black Knights up 24-19. Lindy Clark would respond in the 75th minute to give the Cadets the 29-19 advantage.
AIC made a push late in the game, scoring in the 78th minute and adding the conversion to cut the Army lead to 29-26, but the Black Knights defense remained strong, as Army held on for the victory.
LAST MEETING
The two teams last met in 15s action on Nov. 15, 2014, when Quinnipiac claimed a 46-17 victory in the American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA) Sweet Sixteen in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Army trailed just 15-7 at the half, but five second-half tries from the Bobcats sealed their fate. It was the second victory of the season for Quinnipiac over Army.
WHO TO WATCH: NICOLE HEAVIRLAND
Switching to rugby from basketball in the spring of 2015, yearling Nicole Heavirland has made an immediate impact for the Black Knights. A USA Rugby All-American, Heavirland paced the 7s squad with 107 points, recording 12 tries, 41 conversions and a penalty kick.
She helped lead the Black Knights to the ACRA 7s National Championships, en route to being named the tournament's MVP. Heavirland spent her summer with the U.S. Women's National team, competing in three matches with nation's top talent.
Heavirland will make her debut in the season's home opener, competing in her first season of collegiate 15s action at the fly half position.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights will hit the road for three matches, traveling to Norwich for a meeting with the Cadets on Sept. 19 and heading to Penn State for a pair of games with Lindenwood and the host Nittany Lions on Sept. 25 and 27, respectively.
"If you're going to be serious about the game you've got to play against the best," said LeClerc. "If you want to get better you've got to play against the best so that's what we strive to get and we know that every game is going to have something on it. There are not easy ones. It's important for their development and the confidence moving forward."
Army will return to Anderson Rugby Complex on Oct. 10 as they host a rematch with American International College at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Rugby
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