WOMEN’S RUGBY WINS SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP

They are the champs!

Led by two-year Captain Meg Hart ’08 and Head Coach Derek Jenesky, Stonehill Women’s Rugby team achieved their season-long goal. 

The team won their second consecutive  Women’s Division III National Championship.

With a host of incredible individual performances, the team also ran their amazing three-year winning streak to 33 straight games.

According to Coach Jenesky, the win was the culmination of an incredible season. The team finished 10-0, outscoring their opponents by an astonishing score of 453-15 in the process.

In the first semi-final on Saturday, November 17, Stonehill hosted previously undefeated Canisius College, winners of the New York State regional. 

“Canisius was an extremely tough team,” noted Jenesky, “but we jumped all over them from the onset."  A 37-0 halftime lead and a total team effort assured Stonehill of their place in the championship game.  The team members cruised in the second half, winning by a score of 68-0.

In the Championship game on Sunday, November 18, Stonehill took on the equally tough Marist College team, the regional champions. The first half of the game was a possession battle, but Stonehill's Sara Shea ’09 and Katie O’Malley ’11 scored tries and, at the break, the team had jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

“With the whole season coming down to one, 40-minute half, the ladies took charge right out of the gates,” noted Jenesky. With scores by O’Malley (the game’s Most Valuable Player) and Kaitlyn Quinn ’08, the team pushed the score to 22-0.

Hart, who had been the team's steadying influence all season long, scored to make it 29-0, and all that was left were the finishing tries by Deidre Regan '08 and Melissa Moylan '09, to complete the 43-0 score.  Scrumhalf Alissa Gillis '08 continued her fantastic play, distributing the ball when needed, and timely runs by Kara Rossetti '08, Jen Ward '09, and Kathleen Early '09 were instrumental in both wins.

At the game’s last whistle, the women of Stonehill Rugby celebrated, enjoying the wonderful support of a large crowd of enthusiasts who had come to cheer them to victory.

“These women are so smart, it is easy to teach them the game of rugby,” said Jenesky. “What they have that you cannot teach is so much heart and will to win for each other. They started on August 22nd, with one goal, and that was to repeat as National Champions, and no team was going to get in their way.”

"Thanks to everyone who helped produce a great home crowd for both matches and to those who have supported the team throughout the season," said Director of Recreational Sports John Leahy. 

Congratulations to all the members of the Stonehill Women's Rugby Team.  They  will now go on to compete next year at the DII national level.

About Club Sports

Stonehill Women's Rugby is a club sports program.  Club sports is the fastest growing program and organization both at Stonehill College and across the country. Sport clubs are non-varsity teams and organizations that employ coaches, play and practice in or on the college's facilities, and are members of various leagues competing against other club and varsity teams of area colleges.

11/21/07