Boxscore (PDF)

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA, Ill. -- Sophomore Lauren Doyle led all players with six trys as the Eastern Illinois women's rugby squad blanked instate foe Illinois, 96-0, on Saturday afternoon. The win moves the Panthers to 8-1 on the season.

The game was the tenth meeting between the two nearby rivals with the Panthers now owning an 8-2 all-time series lead over the Illini.

Doyle, whose six trys set a new personal high, joined six other Panthers with at least one run in the rout. Freshman Cara Hahne also set a new single-game try mark as she scampered for four five-pointers.

Meanwhile, sophomore Kayla Heal added two, while newcomers Emily Chapman and Alisha Donner each added a try, with Donner earning her first score in a Panther uniform. Sophomores Stefanie Mahan and Kelsi Wright also notched a score for Eastern.

Charleston native Coartney McKinney finished 8-for-16 for two-point conversions on the day.

In a game of sixes, six members of the squad dished out at least one assist as well today, with junior Narissa Ramirez leading with four to move closer to taking over the all-time assist mark. Doyle, Chapman and freshman Jordan Connelly tallied two assists, while Tina Crema and Alissa Patient were each credited with one apiece.

The game also featured numerous runs-over-20-yards by the Panther squad, with the squad tallying a new season-high 14 in the win.  Doyle led the way, tying a single-season mark with seven multi-yard sprints of her own.

Defensively, Mahan and Hahne both tied with five solo stops and Wright led with three assisted tackles.

The Panthers will now prepare for the squad's home finale next Sunday (Oct. 31), hosting Iowa State at noon. Prior to the contest, seniors Emily Harrison, Coartney McKinney and Kristy Young will be honored for their Panther career.

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