The Wheeling University Rugby team began their run in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division I 15's Playoffs on Saturday at Bishop Schmitt Field. Defense reigned supreme throughout the night, but the Cardinals were able to edge Belmont Abbey by the final score of 19-13. They earned their first ever NCR 15'S playoffs win on the night as they continue their quest for a National Championship.
Over the game's first 12 minutes, the defenses controlled the pitch as the team's kept trading kicks back and forth to each other. Belmont Abbey controlled the time of possession during that early run, but the Cardinals defense bent but didn't break to keep them away from the try line. The first score of the game would come in the 12th minute when the Knights would attempt a three-point kicks with 12:34 on the clock. He was able to kick it through the uprights and Belmont Abbey took a 3-0 lead. 10 minutes later, the Knights had another shot at a three-point kick, but this time the kick sailed far right and the score remained 3-0 Belmont Abbey. The tides would begin to turn on the following possession as the Cardinals found their groove.
Wheeling drove the ball down to around the 10-yarf line before developing a few different plays to get to the try line. Each attempt got them closer and closer until they had it on Bishop Schmitt Field's one-yard line. The Cardinals put the ball in the hands of Clarouly Meca, who pounded his way across the try line for his first career try as the Cardinals went up 5-3. Ayoub Jalli followed with a successful conversion kick and the Cardinals took a 7-3 lead with just over 14 minutes left in the first half. Belmont Abbey added another three-point kick to make it a 7-6 match before the Cardinals offense got going again. This time, Aaron Juma pushed across the try line, keeping his try streak alive and Jalli made it 14-6 with the conversion kick.
The teams entered halftime with that same 14-6 score as the Cardinals were looking to hold on as they moved into the second half. Their first scoring opportunity came three minutes into the second half as Jalli attempted a three-point kick. It would end up going wide and it stayed a 14-6 game. On the next possession, it looked like Wheeling would score again as Lawula Bata broke off a big run. However, the Cardinals would turn the ball over and the Knights had another chance. The Cardinals would then come through on their next possession as Krishna Kwenda got across the try line and made it 19-6. As the game entered its final minute, Belmont Abbey pushed across another try, but it wasn't enough as Wheeling picked up the 19-14 win to advance to the Quarterfinals.
The Cardinals finished the day with three tries from three different players, including the first career try for Clarouly Meca. Aaron Juma kept his try streak alive, pushing the ball across the try line for the 12th time this season giving him at least one try in each of his last five matches. The final try came from Krishna Kwenda who, after a strong start to the year, had been quieted a little over the last few weeks. Ayoub Jalli went 2-3 on conversion kicks throughout the night and missed on his only three-point kicks on the day. The Cardinals now get ready for the NCR Quarterfinals round as they chase down their first National Championship.
The Wheeling University Rugby team will now move to the NCR Quarterfinals on Saturday, November 19th, when they hit the road to face #1 Brown in Providence, Rhode Island.
Original source can be found here.
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