Army West Point Athletics
Saturday, October 10
West Point, NY
7 PM
Army West Point
vs
American International
Women’s Rugby Returns to Anderson Rugby Complex
October 09, 2015 | Women's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – After a week of well-deserved rest following tough competitions with top-ranked Penn State and Lindenwood, the Army West Point women's rugby team will return to Anderson Rugby Complex on Saturday, hosting conference foe American International.
Army (3-2) will host the Yellow Jackets in a rematch of its early-season 29-26 road victory. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_WRugby and on Instagram @armywpwrugby for live updates.
THE GAME
The Army West Point women's rugby team returns to Anderson Rugby Complex for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Yellow Jackets of American International. The match will be the second meeting of the season between the conference rivals as Army edged AIC 29-26 in its season opener. Army remains undefeated in conference action, having claimed victories over AIC, Quinnipiac and Norwich.
"After last weekend, when we went up against Penn State and Lindenwood, we really needed the week off," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "It was probably the hardest weekend of rugby that you could put together, and we had some injuries and some people banged up, so this has really been critical. What we really need to do is kick on from that weekend and not slip back into any bad habits. The girls came away with a really good feeling of where they needed to be and what they needed to do to perform at a higher level, so it will be really disappointing if we don't sustain that, so that's probably going to be the biggest issue that we have."
ARMY'S LAST TIME OUT
Army is coming off a pair of losses to two of the nation's top-ranked teams in Lindenwood and Penn State. The Black Knights dropped a 33-3 decision to Lindenwood and a 34-21 falter at Penn State.
Against Lindenwood, Nicole Heavirland scored the only points of the evening for the Black Knights, recording a penalty kick in the 20th minute of action.
Lindenwood posted a penalty kick to tie the game just moments later and held the Black Knights off of the scoresheet for the remainder of the game.
The Lions entered the game averaging 131 points per game, blowing past Northern Iowa 132-0 and Indiana 130-0.
Against Penn State, Army got on the board first in the fourth minute when Lindy Clark posted a try, which was converted by Heavirland.
The Nittany Lions tied the game up minutes later and took a 17-7 lead through 32 minutes of play before vice-captain Chioma Odocha scored and Heavirland booted another kick.
Penn State took a 22-14 lead into the break with a try in the 35th minute.
The Black Knights set the tone early in the second half with Kirsten Redmon posting a score and Heavirland earning her third conversion of the contest. Those, however, would be the last points of the morning for the third-ranked Cadets as Penn State closed the game out on a 12-point streak to capture the 34-21 win.
AIC'S LAST TIME OUT
The Yellow Jackets enter the game after an impressive 48-20 win over Norwich, downing the Cadets for the first time in program history.
"AIC is getting into some form, they beat Norwich for the first time, so that's going to give them some confidence as well," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "It's always about three points, the difference between us and them. It will go down to the wire and there will be a few tense moments on the sideline, I'm sure. They've got some really good speed and if we don't close it down it will cause us problems. We've just got to worry about ourselves and get to that same level that we did against Penn State and Lindenwood. We're playing at home again at Anderson, which is great, so hopefully it will be a good day for us."
Freshman Anne-Laurence Harvey earned 28 points off of three tries, five conversions and a penalty kick, while sister Elizabeth Harvey added a try as well.
Shamira Robles scored first for AIC in the fifth minute to give the Yellow Jackets the 5-0 lead.
Neither team was able to find the try zone for the following 20 minutes of action until Norwich tied it up in the 28th minute.
In the final minutes of the first half, AIC tallied 12 points with tries from Anna Mbengam and Anne-Laurence Harvey to take the 17-5 advantage into the half.
To start the second half, the Yellow Jackets kept the momentum up as Domonique Cammock recorded a try, followed by a score from Elizabeth Harvey. Anne-Laurence Harvey closed out the game with a penalty kick, try and conversion to send AIC to the 48-20 win.
ARMY WHO TO WATCH: MACKENZIE GARNER
Making her collegiate debut, freshman Mackenzie Garner will earn a jersey at the halfback position, taking over after Rebecca Jeffrey suffered an injury that will sideline her for the foreseeable future. Garner is a native Lebanon, Ind., and was an all-conference soccer player in her time at Lebanon High School.
Donning the No. 9 jersey, this will be Garner's first A-Side action as she has competed solely in B-Side contests this season.
"Unfortunately we lost Rebecca (Jeffrey) for the season and now it's Mackenzie's turn to step up," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "She's been training hard and I don't think she knows how good she can be. If her confidence matches her abilities, she'll be excellent for us."
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, Nicole 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 Chioma 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 has posted one score, while Odocha has earned three.
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 hit the road for a trip to Marietta, Ga., to face off with national powerhouse Life. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. The Black Knights return to Anderson Rugby Complex on Oct. 24 for the second of two highly-anticipated meetings with rival Norwich. Army will travel to Quinnipiac and Air Force before closing out the year with a home match against service academy rival Navy.
Army (3-2) will host the Yellow Jackets in a rematch of its early-season 29-26 road victory. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_WRugby and on Instagram @armywpwrugby for live updates.
THE GAME
The Army West Point women's rugby team returns to Anderson Rugby Complex for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Yellow Jackets of American International. The match will be the second meeting of the season between the conference rivals as Army edged AIC 29-26 in its season opener. Army remains undefeated in conference action, having claimed victories over AIC, Quinnipiac and Norwich.
"After last weekend, when we went up against Penn State and Lindenwood, we really needed the week off," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "It was probably the hardest weekend of rugby that you could put together, and we had some injuries and some people banged up, so this has really been critical. What we really need to do is kick on from that weekend and not slip back into any bad habits. The girls came away with a really good feeling of where they needed to be and what they needed to do to perform at a higher level, so it will be really disappointing if we don't sustain that, so that's probably going to be the biggest issue that we have."
ARMY'S LAST TIME OUT
Army is coming off a pair of losses to two of the nation's top-ranked teams in Lindenwood and Penn State. The Black Knights dropped a 33-3 decision to Lindenwood and a 34-21 falter at Penn State.
Against Lindenwood, Nicole Heavirland scored the only points of the evening for the Black Knights, recording a penalty kick in the 20th minute of action.
Lindenwood posted a penalty kick to tie the game just moments later and held the Black Knights off of the scoresheet for the remainder of the game.
The Lions entered the game averaging 131 points per game, blowing past Northern Iowa 132-0 and Indiana 130-0.
Against Penn State, Army got on the board first in the fourth minute when Lindy Clark posted a try, which was converted by Heavirland.
The Nittany Lions tied the game up minutes later and took a 17-7 lead through 32 minutes of play before vice-captain Chioma Odocha scored and Heavirland booted another kick.
Penn State took a 22-14 lead into the break with a try in the 35th minute.
The Black Knights set the tone early in the second half with Kirsten Redmon posting a score and Heavirland earning her third conversion of the contest. Those, however, would be the last points of the morning for the third-ranked Cadets as Penn State closed the game out on a 12-point streak to capture the 34-21 win.
AIC'S LAST TIME OUT
The Yellow Jackets enter the game after an impressive 48-20 win over Norwich, downing the Cadets for the first time in program history.
"AIC is getting into some form, they beat Norwich for the first time, so that's going to give them some confidence as well," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "It's always about three points, the difference between us and them. It will go down to the wire and there will be a few tense moments on the sideline, I'm sure. They've got some really good speed and if we don't close it down it will cause us problems. We've just got to worry about ourselves and get to that same level that we did against Penn State and Lindenwood. We're playing at home again at Anderson, which is great, so hopefully it will be a good day for us."
Freshman Anne-Laurence Harvey earned 28 points off of three tries, five conversions and a penalty kick, while sister Elizabeth Harvey added a try as well.
Shamira Robles scored first for AIC in the fifth minute to give the Yellow Jackets the 5-0 lead.
Neither team was able to find the try zone for the following 20 minutes of action until Norwich tied it up in the 28th minute.
In the final minutes of the first half, AIC tallied 12 points with tries from Anna Mbengam and Anne-Laurence Harvey to take the 17-5 advantage into the half.
To start the second half, the Yellow Jackets kept the momentum up as Domonique Cammock recorded a try, followed by a score from Elizabeth Harvey. Anne-Laurence Harvey closed out the game with a penalty kick, try and conversion to send AIC to the 48-20 win.
ARMY WHO TO WATCH: MACKENZIE GARNER
Making her collegiate debut, freshman Mackenzie Garner will earn a jersey at the halfback position, taking over after Rebecca Jeffrey suffered an injury that will sideline her for the foreseeable future. Garner is a native Lebanon, Ind., and was an all-conference soccer player in her time at Lebanon High School.
Donning the No. 9 jersey, this will be Garner's first A-Side action as she has competed solely in B-Side contests this season.
"Unfortunately we lost Rebecca (Jeffrey) for the season and now it's Mackenzie's turn to step up," said head coach Bill LeClerc. "She's been training hard and I don't think she knows how good she can be. If her confidence matches her abilities, she'll be excellent for us."
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, Nicole 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 Chioma 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 has posted one score, while Odocha has earned three.
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 hit the road for a trip to Marietta, Ga., to face off with national powerhouse Life. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. The Black Knights return to Anderson Rugby Complex on Oct. 24 for the second of two highly-anticipated meetings with rival Norwich. Army will travel to Quinnipiac and Air Force before closing out the year with a home match against service academy rival Navy.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Rugby
/ Women's Rugby
/ Women's Rugby
/ Women's Rugby
/ Women's Rugby
/ Women's Rugby
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