Sometimes a home-field advantage doesn’t always pay dividends. That was the case for the Quinnipiac women’s rugby team, as it had its seven-game unbeaten streak at home snapped on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Bobcats were overpowered by American International College by the final score of 36-12 in Northeast Conference Rugby action. It was the second most points the Bobcats have surrendered this season. The previous high was 41 points allowed to Norwich.
Quinnipiac (3-2, 0-1 Northeast) was led by sophomore Natalie Kosko who totaled two tries for 10 points, while freshman Maggie Myles completed a conversion for the other two points. Myles also recorded two assists on both of Kosko’s tries.
In the first ever meeting between the two squads, the Bobcats built an early lead but it wouldn’t last. With 22 minutes remaining in the first half, Kosko put the Bobcats on the board first. She received a pass from Myles and broke free from would be tacklers for a 30-yard run down the left side of the field for the game’s first score. Myles tacked on the conversion, giving the Bobcats a 7-0 lead.
AIC (2-1, 1-0 Northeast) added a try five minutes later but Kosko and Myles were at it again. With six minutes remaining in the first half, Myles hit a streaking Kosko with a pass between the numbers, and she out-raced the defenders for her second score and a 12-5 lead.
“What I’d saw from Kosko in the first half is definitely something that I needed to see in the second half,” head coach Becky Carlson said. “I would have liked to see us push the ball out. Our game plan was to use our backs as a big weapon and we just couldn’t get the ball out there.”
With a 12-5 lead, then the tides turned for the Bobcats. After AIC ended the first half with a try and conversion, the Yellow Jackets pounded the Bobcats in the second half scoring 24 consecutive points. AIC’s Rosalind Pena, Megan Pinson, Muneera Patton, Jessica Davis and Cassidy Neyers each recorded a try for the Yellow Jackets. Neyers adding three conversions for the other six points.
“Every time we had the opportunity to get the ball back, we weren’t able to capitalize in on it. I think AIC played very well,” Carlson said. “They dominated the middle of the field and we weren’t able to get out to our backs and put some points on the board and that’s not the QU everyone is used to watching.”
The Bobcats return to the field on Saturday, Sept. 28 when they travel to Charlottesville, Va. for a non-conference match against the University of Virginia. Game time is slated for 12 p.m. at Madison Bowl Field.
