Boxscore (PDF)
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Meeting for the fourth time on the rugby field, the Eastern Illinois Panthers rolled over Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon, 103-0. The game was a late season addition to the EIU women's rugby schedule after the previously scheduled opponent, Appalachian State, cancelled.
The win, played at a very muddy field in Carbondale, moved the Panthers to 9-0 on the season as the squad has now won a program-high 25th straight contests.
Leading all scorers was freshman Lauren Doyle, who had five trys on the day which set a new career high for the newcomer. She also had seven two-point conversions go thru the uprights to finish with 39 points in the contest, just one point shy of tying the all-time single-game point margin of 40.
Fellow freshman Kayla Heal added four trys of her own, while senior Ashley Jenkins and sophomores Narissa Ramirez and Mandie Hurd chipped in two trys in the rout. Chase Cain and Kelsi Wright each had one try apiece as the squad had a season-high 17 five-point trys scored in the game.
Out of those 17 trys, 15 came off key assists as Ramirez led the squad with five dishes. Jenkins, Doyle, and Emily Harrison each had two assists as well. Jenkins added two conversions on the day, too, as both her and Doyle filled-in for the normal Panther kicker, Coartney McKinney.
Defensively, senior Chase Cain and junior Tiffany Kennedy each had four solo stops and combined for three steals-at-tackle.
The Panthers opened the first half with 65 points as Doyle scored three consecutive trys as EIU lead 17-0 just five minutes into the game. Jenkins added a try at the seven minute mark, which was followed by a Ramirez score and another Doyle run-in. Halfway thru the first frame and the Panthers were up 34-0. EIU would earn five more scores, including two from Heal.
Just barely two minutes into the second half, the Panthers earned another score as Hurd scored the first of her two trys of the half. Heal added one of her two as well and Ramirez and Cain helped seal the win with trys of their own.
The 103 points was the most scored by a Panther squad since earning 112 against Ball State last season, while the school record is 124 points, when EIU dominated Michigan State back in 2006.
Next weekend the Panthers will actually host Michigan State yet again, in Eastern's season finale. The game, which is a late addition to the schedule, is set for a noon start on Saturday, Nov. 7 at EIU's Lakeside Field.
Prior to the start of the game, the annual ceremony to honor five departing players from the 2009 squad will take place. Those players include seniors Chase Cain, Ashley Jenkins, Crystal Jones, and Stephanie Militello. Junior Tiffany Kennedy, meanwhile, will also be honored alongside the seniors prior to kickoff as she is set to graduate early from EIU and plans on student teaching next fall.
.... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
