CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois women's rugby squad continue late-season road action this weekend as the Panthers travel to Kansas State for a noon contest on Saturday (Oct. 20) afternoon.

EIU sits at an even 2-2 on the season after earning a dominating 97-7 win at Western Kentucky last weekend.

ALL-TIME EIU/KSU SERIES
Saturday's matchup will mark the first-ever meeting on the rugby field between EIU and KSU.

RUGBY 10-VERSUS-10
Like the previous couple of weeks, the format for Saturday's game at WKU will be ten-on-ten, but utilizing the normal Rugby 15s rules, just pared down team-wise.

The game set-up has been pre-determined by both the respective head coaches, as the Panther squad is down to just 10 players following some injuries and other player issues at this point in the season.

DOYLE RETURNS
Senior Lauren Doyle made a dramatic return to the field last weekend as she decided to forego her redshirt season and in the process set several single-game marks against WKU.

She scampered for eight trys and 40 points to tie the single-game mark in both categories.  She also had seven runs over 20-yards, which also knotted the school mark.

BURGE & KISSNER LEAD EIU DEFENSIVELY
Sophomores Carissa Burge and Madison Kissner currently pace the EIU defensive unit as Burge has a team-high 25 solo tackles and an additional five assisted stops, while Kissner is third in solo tackles with 23 and leads with seven assists.

The duo also lead the squad in assists with four apiece.

YOUHAS KICKS HER WAY TO A CAREER DAY
Sophomore Kim Youhas went 11-for-15 in two-point conversions at WKU last Saturday, tying the single-game mark and obviously setting a new personal best tally in the process.

SATURDAY WEATHER PROJECTION
According to weather.com, the weather in Manhattan, Kan., is expected to be sunny with temps in the low 70s at game time.  There's a zero chance of rain and a light wind of just 10 mph projected.

NEXT UP FOR THE PANTHERS
EIU will have just five days to prepare for a rematch versus Lindenwood on Thursday (Oct. 25).  The game is set for a 3 p.m. start in St. Charles, Mo., as the game was originally scheduled for late September but moved to next week.

The Panthers defeated LU, 43-10, back on Oct. 4 as it marked the home finale for EIU as only two contests were scheduled to be played at the friendly confines of Lakeside Rugby Field.  After the Lions captured an early 10-0 lead, the Panthers exploded for 43 straight points for their first win of the season.

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