ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s rugby squad clinched their first win of the season on Saturday, overpowering West Chester with a 38-3 victory at the Prusmack Rugby Center. Despite challenging weather conditions, the team demonstrated resiliency, earning praise from head coach Murph McCarthy.
“Very happy with the performance of the team today. We had a difficult week of practice with the heat and humidity, but we powered through it,” said McCarthy. “Today was a similar situation with the weather. We came out and definitely felt the heat, but that didn’t affect our focus or determination.”
The Navy team took an early lead just four minutes into the game when Abby Hershner successfully landed a penalty kick from 20 meters out. The kick placed Navy in a 3-0 advantage over West Chester’s Golden Rams.
Strategic plays, such as kicks from Charlotte D’Halluin, consistently pushed Navy into offensive zones. A prime example occurred just before the seventh minute, when Ji Ji Kim, a Navy wing, ran into the try zone uncontested, making the score 8-0. Another well-executed play by D’Halluin in the 14th minute extended Navy’s lead to 13-0.
West Chester had brief moments of possession but struggled to convert those into points. During the 22nd minute, they managed to move the ball into the try zone but were denied a score by Navy’s defense.
Navy’s relentless pressure continued through the first half, ending it at 25-0 after Megan Leitz dodged two defenders to score a try. The lead was further solidified when Hershner made her first conversion kick of the match.
Penalties against West Chester early in the second half granted Navy another scoring opportunity. Hershner’s kick in the 47th minute pushed the lead to 28-0. Despite efforts by West Chester to gain ground, Navy’s defense held firm, eventually building their lead to 33-0 in the 54th minute with a try from Lilliana Gemma.
Navy’s final score came from Kerra Miller in the 67th minute, reaching across the try line to make it 38-0. West Chester managed to put points on the board in the 77th minute with a penalty kick, ending the game at 38-3.
Hershner led Navy in scoring with another eight-point performance, making her the season’s leading scorer with 16 points. D’Halluin added five points with her team-leading third try of the season. Gemma, Kim, Leitz, Miller, and Mia Young all scored their first tries of the season, contributing five points each.
The Navy women’s rugby team will face Quinnipiac next Saturday at the Prusmack Rugby Center, marking their first home match against a NIRA Division I conference opponent. The match is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.
