Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Quinnipiac
Women’s Rugby Caps Conference Action at Quinnipiac
October 30, 2015 | Women's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army West Point women's rugby team will close out conference action on Saturday, traveling to Quinnipiac to take on the Bobcats.
The Black Knights look to remain undefeated in conference play as they boast a record of 5-3 on the season. Kickoff in Hamden, Conn., is set for 12 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
As always, fans can visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the women's rugby team on Twitter @ArmyWP_WRugby and Instagram @armywpwrugby.
THE GAME
The Army West Point women's rugby team will cap off conference play on Saturday when it travels to Hamden, Conn., for a noon kickoff with the Bobcats of Quinnipiac. The match will be the second of the season for the two teams as Army captured a 29-24 win over the Bobcats on Sept. 12 from Anderson Rugby Complex.
ARMY'S LAST TIME OUT
The Black Knights are riding high off of a 68-15 beatdown of conference rival Norwich last weekend from Anderson Rugby Complex.
Plebe Zye Crittington and standout Nicole Heavirland had dominant performances in the win, as six different Black Knights dotted down in the contest. Entering the game following an injury to vice-captain Chioma Odocha, Crittington recorded three tries, while leading scorer Heavirland earned 28 points with two tries and nine conversions.
"That meant a lot to the girls, the emotion was really high going in and they overcame a really horrific start," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "We lost Jess Soto in the warmup and then we lost two in rapid succession on the field. We were able to pull together and really turn out a really solid performance. Zye was obviously phenomenal, but we managed to pull it out and get a really good win."
Lindy Clark got the scoring started in the 18th minute as Heavirland booted the kick to put the Black Knights up 7-0.
Norwich would respond just three minutes later but was unsuccessful on the conversion, as Army held on to the 7-5 advantage.
In the 25th minute, captain Mariah Caid-Loos would dive into the try zone for her first of the game, as Heavirland was again successful on the kick, and the Black Knights went up 12-5. Four minutes later, Crittington would score her first of the contest, as Heavirland earned another kick and Army posted a 21-5 advantage.
Heavirland dotted down following a Norwich high tackle on Caid-Loos, permitting the Black Knights a quick restart in the red zone. She converted her own score and Army entered the break with the 28-5 advantage.
Army kept the pressure on in the second half, as Crittington scored in the 44th and 48th minutes, with Heavirland booting both kicks to put Army up 42-5.
Norwich would score in the 51st minute, after being held off of the scoreboard for 30 minutes of play.
Ari Efaw barreled through the Cadets' defense in the 60th minute to put Army up 47-10.
In the 63rd minute of play, Caid-Loos scored her second of the game, followed by a try from Heavirland in the 67th minute. Heavirland was successful on both kicks to put Army up 61-10.
Plebe Mackenzie Garner, making the start in the No. 9 jersey, recorded a try in the 70th minute to cap off the Army scoring, with Heavirland earning her ninth conversion of the afternoon to put Army up 68-10.
Norwich dotted down in the 75th minute, but Army would walk away with the 68-15 win.
CRITTINGTON NAMED AAA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Entering the game in the early portion of the first half, following an injury to the team's vice-captain, Zye Crittington scored three tries in the Army West Point women's rugby team's 68-15 victory over Norwich. For her efforts, Crittington has been named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.
Sidelined due to injury, vice-captain Chioma Odocha left the contest early, forcing Crittington into the game at an unfamiliar position. Generally an inside center, Crittington quickly adapted to the wing position, dotting down in the 29th, 44th and 48th minutes.
The tries marked the second, third and fourth, scored in the plebe's young career, as she earned her first collegiate try in the win over American International two weeks prior.
CLARK GARNERS AAA RECOGNITION
Three first half scores in the Army West Point women's rugby team's 43-17 victory over conference rival Norwich earned firstie Lindy Clark Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week recognition.
This is the first career AAA Athlete of the Week honor for Clark and the second consecutive week in which a member of the women's rugby team has earned the distinction.
Clark opened up the scoring for the Black Knights in the eighth minute, cutting the Norwich lead to 10-5. She scored again in the 11th minute to tie the game, as teammate Nicole Heavirland converted the score to put Army up 12-10.
The Cadets regained the lead with a try and conversion in the 16th minute, but Clark's third try of the afternoon in the 37th minute tied it up once again. Heavirland converted her second kick of the afternoon to send the Black Knights into the half with the two-point advantage. From that point on, Army held Norwich off the scoresheet, earning its first win over the national powerhouse in 15s action.
HEAVIRLAND COPS AAA HONORS
After leading the Army West Point women's rugby squad to a 29-24 victory over conference foe Quinnipiac, Heavirland was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week on Sept. 14.
This is the first AAA Athlete of the Week nod of the season and second of her career for Heavirland.
Competing in her first collegiate 15s game, Heavirland scored the opening try of the game for the Black Knights in the 38th minute of action, sending Army into the break down 14-7.
With the Bobcats holding a 24-12 advantage mid-way through the second half, Heavirland began her scoring onslaught, rattling off three straight tries in the 61st, 69th and 82nd minutes.
In the 69th minute she tied the game at 24-24 after successfully converting her own try. With stoppage time expiring, she found the try zone in the 82nd minute to put the Black Knights on top 29-24 and ensure the win.
In total, the Whitefish, Mont., native accounted for 22 of the team's 29 points on the afternoon.
MEET YOUR CAPTAINS
Leading the 2015-16 squad will be captain Mariah Caid-Loos and vice-captain Odocha.
Caid-Loos posted four tries in 15s action in the 2014-15 season before falling to injury. Odocha earned three tries in 15s action and four on the 7s pitch.
Since the start of the 2015-16 year, Caid-Loos and Odocha have each recorded three scores
CLASS RINGS
The Class of 2016 received their class rings in a ceremony held at Trophy Point on Aug. 28, 2015. A time-honored West Point tradition, the Class of 2016's rings contain gold from 356 West Point graduates donated to the West Point Association of Graduates in addition to steel melted down from the World Trade Center.
UP NEXT
Army will compete in the first of two non-conference meetings next weekend, traveling to Colorado Springs, Colo., for a match with Air Force. The game will the be the first in back-to-back service academy battles, as the Black Knights will return to Anderson Rugby Complex on Nov. 13 to take on Navy.
Players Mentioned
