Boxscore (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Sophomore Lauren Doyle sprinted in three trys as the Eastern Illinois women's rugby blanked the host Northern Iowa squad, 34-0, on a rainy Saturday afternoon in northeast Iowa.

The win helped erase Eastern's tough loss at Grand Valley State last weekend, which snapped a program-high 29-game win streak.  EIU improves to 4-1 on the season.

Fellow sophomore Kayla Heal and freshman Cara Hahne each added a try of their own as the Panthers took an early 7-0 half before erupting in the second half to earn the shutout.

Senior Coartney McKinney used her foot to finish with a 3-for-5 day in conversions and 1-for-2 on penalty kicks.

“We played very well and stayed within ourselves,” said head coach Frank Graziano. “The girls were emotionally involved in the game, which wasn't the case against Grand Valley last week. I'm very proud of their performance and in some very adverse conditions, as game was played in a steady rain the whole day. Not only did it rain the whole game, but also the entire ride home and even while we were unpacking the bus back here in Charleston. Yet surprisingly, UNI's field held up very well.”
 
Graziano believe that the squad's performance against UNI was actually better than last year's game, which EIU also won. “We were certainly better prepared for their style of play this time around,” he said. “Virtually everyone played and it was a definite team effort as everyone executed the game plan nicely and had an inspired performance. The team's effort has always been there this year, but we performed in the UNI game.”

Coach credits several players with having a great game against the Purple Panthers, including Kelsi Wright who had an excellent game, both offensively and defensely. “Kelsi's play kind of goes unnoticed because she didn't score, but she did have one great opportunity but tripped and fell prior to cross the goal line. 

“Lauren Doyle and Narissa Ramirez also had a good game,” said Graziano. “Plus the scrums and lineout plays were excellent. We designed some new lineout scenarios and defensive schemes to counter their lineouts and those went well. Jazmine Moore had an excellent game defensively earning some great tackles while also doing well in the scrum, too. 

“Lauren (Doyle) had a couple of really good, long runs,” Graziano said. “Plus Cara Hahne scored again on an excellent play and had another run prior to tackled right at the score line. Tina Crema did well defensively and Sara Sremaniak was excellent with her lineout throws.” 

Graziano said that the team made quite a few adjustments in preparation of the key game at UNI. That included switching players into different positions, both on offense and defense. Plus he had a very specific game plan.

“This team executed our plan very well,” Graziano said. “Every season that I have coached the team will have a defining moment where the squad grows up together and this was definitely our moment. The girls most definitely believe in themselves again and are learning to trust each other. All of which was missing in the loss at Grand Valley State.” 

Up 7-0 at the half, the Panthers got the ball back from UNI to start the second frame and scored from the get go. “That really deflated Northern Iowa,” Graziano said, “especially after we scored right away yet again. We never let up the whole game. We were prepared for their short offensive spurts and we countered that very well thanks to the many practice drills we went through last week.” 

With UNI on their heels, Coartney McKinney also had two penalty kick chances. Even though she missed the first, she got another opportunity in practically the same spot as the previous one. This time, however, she nailed it and with each attempt was able to give the squad a chance to rest and regroup following a flurry of action.

EIU will return home to host two Big Ten squads over the next two weeks, with Minnesota coming to town on Sunday, Oct. 3 and Michigan on Oct. 10.  Kickoff for both matchups is set for 11 am at EIU's Lakeside Field.

“We have to guard against being so emotionally high right now,” Graziano said, “and coming back down and being flat. That's what hurt us in the GVSU game, played very unemotional. I have started to review last year's Minnesota game tape and will develop a game plan to give the squad at practice this week.”

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