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CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Ashley Jenkins and Lauren Doyle each ran-in three trys as the Eastern Illinois women's rugby squad crushed the Fighting Illini of Illinois, 60-0, on a sunny but chilly and windy day at Lakeside Field.

The rout moves the Panthers to 8-0 on the season, and ups their program-best winning streak to 24 straight games.

Jenkins, a senior center, scored her first five-point try in the 10th minute of the first half and then proceeded to add two more backfield touches to close out the game, as the Panthers enjoyed a 38-0 halftime lead enroute to the blowout.  The three trys marked a new single-game high by the Radcliff, Kentucky native and moved her career try total to 17 all-time.

Doyle, a freshman center, earned all 15 of her points in the first half alone.  She scored just 45 seconds into the game, prior to another score at 15:43 and then again just before the half.  Her three scores tied her single-game high that she set against Missouri last weekend, while moving her inaugural season try total to 15, which is second highest on the squad.

Two more trys came via sophomore scrumhalf Ashley Aardsma, whose set a new personal best with the two scores and moved her career scoring total to five, all earned this season.  She ran in a score in the 31st minute of the first half and then earned EIU's first points in the second half at around the 24th minute.

Earning a single try apiece were seniors Stephanie Militello and Chase Cain.  Junior Coartney McKinney used her right foot to go 5-10 on two-point conversions, which included nailing three straight two-pointers in the first half.  That moves her season total to exactly 50% at 34 of 68.

Out of the ten trys scored in the win, seven of them came off key assists as McKinney led all players with three dishes, while Militello, sophomore Narissa Ramirez, and freshmen Lauren Doyle and Stefanie Mahan each contributed one assist.

The win improved the Panthers to 7-2 all-time against Illinois, who are the Panthers most frequent opponent.

EIU will hit the road next weekend for the final away game of the season, traveling to Boone, North Carolina to take on Appalachian State for the first time on the rugby field, kickoff is set for 10 am on Sunday, November 1.  Following that game, the Panthers will host Tennessee in the season-finale on Sat., Nov. 7.

… for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID