Lady Panthers (UWM) fall to EIU Panthers 29 – 27 with Time Expired

The Lady Panther Rugby Football Club at UWM opened their Midwest Division I League Season on the road at Eastern Illinois University this Saturday. This marks the first ever contest between EIU and the Lady Panthers. EIU is currently ranked nationally as #7 (erugbynews.com) and is the only NCAA Women’s D1 Varsity Rugby Program in the country.

The match kicked off at 12:15 (after a few technical difficulties) with a series of tentative kicks for position on alternating EIU and UWM penalties. Entering the 4th minute, UWM finally established some positive phase play – driving deep within the EIU 22m. As the Lady Panthers looked to spread the field offensively EIU freshman Lauren Doyle picked off a pass and looked to take the ball all the way but was caught just inside the 5m line by UWM fullback Mollie Martin (Burnsville HS RFC, MN), with an assist on the tackle by UWM wing Samantha Bruni (Vernon U-19, WI). The referee awarded a penalty try to EIU at 5:09 for dangerous tackle and Coartney McKinney slotted the center-post conversion at 5:17 for the 7 – 0 go-ahead.

At that point, it looked as if it was going to be a very long day for the Lady Panthers of UWM.

However, in what was the first of several moments of remarkable resolve, the Lady Panthers took possession of the ensuing restart kick and spent most of the next 20 minutes working phase play deep into EIU Territory. The Lady Panthers’ Mollie Martin crossed the try line at 10:42, but the touch-down was ruled held-up in-goal.

At 19:09 the Lady Panthers’ Tina Gill (DSHA RFC, WI) crossed the goal-line, but EIU managed to strip the ball and touch it down resulting in a UWM 5m scrum. As the Lady Panther packed drove the EIU forward pack across the goal-line, the referee insisted the ball be played or the scrum would be blown up. The Lady Panthers sent the ball out to wing Sam Bruni who was run into touch by the EIU defense inside the 5m. The ensuing lineout from EIU missed it’s target and finally at 21:58, Lady Panther scrumhalf Brittany Houston (Vernon U-19, WI) grabbed the throw and weaved through the EIU defense to dot down a try. Houston’s conversion attempt at 22:40 missed it’s mark and the score held at 7 – 5.

After a nice offensive drive EIU’s Crystal Jones found the corner and dotted down for a try at 26:00. McKinney’s conversion attempt at 27:02 missed the mark and the EIU lead held at 12 – 5.

Midway through the 28th minute EIU’s Lauren Doyle picked off a Lady Panther pass and dotted down for 5 at 28:40. McKinney’s conversion at 29:29 increased EIU’s lead to 19 – 5. And it was beginning to feel like a very long day again.

But the Lady Panthers of UWM showed their pluck and took the ensuing restart down inside the EIU 5m on phase play before knocking on. After a reset EIU scrum, the Lady Panther pack stole the put and slowly drove the EIU pack over the goal line. Again the referee instructed UWM to use the ball or the scrum would be whistled dead. The Panthers took the crash ball up to the goalline, eventually pushing into in-goal and bringing the maul down for a touch down. The attempt to touch down at 33:05 was ruled held-up in-goal.

The Lady Panthers tried to go weak off the 5m Scrum, but were met by the fierce EIU defense. The backline sent the ball wide against the overloaded EIU defense and the Lady Panthers wing Val Seidl (Brookfield U-19, WI) crossed the goalline at 34:05, but the preceding center – wing exchange was ruled a forward pass. The Lady Panthers stole the EIU put at the restart, but Kati McCormick’s (Kettle Moraine U-19, WI) No. 8 take was held-up in-goal at 34:49.

Lady Panther hooker Theresa Trott’s strike at the next put was a bit too hard as the ball shot clean out of the scrum. Brittany Houston covered the ball with wing Val Seidl, but the EIU scrumhalf was judged offside. The Lady Panthers elected for post from the penalty as the clear grass of the in-goal area remained elusive. Brittany Houston’s penalty attempt at 36:09 fell short of post, but the Lady Panthers recovered and drove towards the goalline before a handling error from a driving maul resulted in a 5m defending scrum.

The Lady Panthers were penalized for a late hit on Eastern’s attempt to clear-kick from in-goal and were backed up to the 40m after the EIU Penalty Kick to touch from the 22m. EIU set a maul from their lineout and Kati McCormick was instrumental in creating a turnover. The Panthers used the possession and again drove within the EIU 22m on phase play. The Lady Panthers were again held-up in-goal at 39:18. As the Lady Panther scrum drove towards in-goal regulation time expired. Easter Illinois was penalized for not rolling away from the tackle at 41:07 and the Lady Panthers used the opportunity to keep the ball in play. The Lady Panthers looked for openings in the Eastern Defense in the backline and the forwards and eventually found in-goal on a pick-and-drive by Maggie Reidy (DSHA RFC, WI) at 42:01. Houston’s conversion attempt at 43:09 was no good, and the half ended with UWM trailing 19 – 10.

There was a bit of contention at the beginning of the second half as the referee allowed EIU’s Mandie Hurd to re-enter the match after she had left the field near the 10 minute mark in the first half for a blood substitution.

However, at just over 1 minute into the second half, EIU’s Stephanie Militello picked off a Lady Panther pass and took it in a try. McKinney’s Conversion attempt was good and EIU went ahead 26 – 10. It was the last time that Eastern would score in regulation time in the second half and it marked EIU’s last try of the game.

The Lady Panthers truly held the tempo for the second half with a try by Theresa Trott at 45:16 and conversion by Houston at 46:02. Center Tina Gill’s attempt to touch down at 53:06 was ruled held up, and the exchange between fullback Mollie Martin and wing Sam Bruni (which appeared to be a try for Bruni) was ruled forward.

Brittany Houston would post tries for the Lady Panthers at 62:16 and 75:03 to put the UWM in the lead 27 – 26. Houston’s conversion attempt at 76:00 missed its mark and the Lady Panthers clung to a narrow lead as time ran short in the match.

Hoping to run down the clock in the waning minutes, UWM may have let their guard down a bit too early as Eastern drove down into Lady Panther Territory on aggressive running and smart field management. In the 79th minute EIU drew a penalty to the far right of the field. During McKinney’s attempt at post time expired, and the kick fell short of the goal-line. Maggie Reidy recovered in the field of play but was subsequently penalized for not releasing.

The Lady Panthers’ luck had run out as McKinney’s kick from the 22m in front of the post split the uprights at 82:50 and EIU came out with a 29 – 27 victory.

“We must have gotten up on the right side of the bed today,” said EIU head coach Frank Graziano. “We really shouldn’t have won the game today. But we found ourselves in the right place at the right time and took advantage of UWM’s mistakes. They are a fine squad, but sometimes a team ends up winning a game that they weren’t supposed to win, and this was one of them.”

“It’s quite possible this is the best loss we’ve ever had, if that makes any sense,” remarked Lady Panther head coach Scot Prunckle. “But the loss simply comes down to coaching. I didn’t prepare our girls adequately enough for EIU’s athleticism and ability to find flaws. They’re smart. They won’t let me make the same mistakes again.”

The loss to EIU brings the Lady Panther RFC’s record to 4-1-1 on the season with wins over UW-Whitewater 37-0 [tourney], University of Wisconsin 39-0 [tourney], Marquette University 44-0 [tourney], and Winona State University 20-10 [tourney]. The Lady Panther’s tie was recorded against the Chicago Women’s B-Side [Senior Division I].

The Lady Panthers will travel to the University of Northern Iowa on October 3rd, and complete their road trips at the Iowa State University on October 10th.

I hope this message finds all of you well.

J. Scot Prunckle