The University of Mary Washington women's rugby team secured its second win of the season at home on Saturday against a developmental U.S. Naval Academy side, 35-17. UMW kicked off to Navy which provided Navy leverage at the beginning. UMW gained advantage after a knocked-on ball by Navy from their lineout. The first 15 minutes of the match composed of physical back and forth possession between both teams.
A penalty to UMW and dominant crash from the forwards gave UMW's backs the opportunity to swing the ball out to sophomore wing
Ella Brown. Sophomore center
Izzy Schefermann decisively looped outside of Brown in support. In the initial stages of a tackle, Brown pop passed quickly to Schefermann, who scored the first try of the match a meter out.
After the initial try by UMW's Schefermann, possession alternated between the Eagles and Navy. A series of passes and phases from UMW's backs developed. Before being tackled, junior
Ava Ward made a quick pass to sophomore
Josephine Lent who scored for Mary Wash 65 meters out.
Back and forth play between both sides continued. UMW defended Navy's attack from 10 meters out, but a penalty to Navy led Navy to score and convert their try shortly before the half. UMW kicked the ball to the touch line off a scrum to run out the clock at halftime with UMW leading, 14-7.
A short amount of time into the second half, after two forward crashes by UMW and swift ball movement among the backs, Lent scored again 78 meters out. Possession then alternated between Navy and UMW. Navy later scored their second try off a scrum and pass to their wing on the outside. A knock on by UMW and advantage to Navy led Navy to score a third time. The second and third tries by Navy were not converted.
Ball retention after a lineout to the Eagles allowed Lent to score again with agile footwork on the wing. With 10 minutes remaining, there was initial ball possession and retention from UMW. Navy got the ball back. UMW obtained possession again off their penalty and a series of forward crashes. Quick ball movement among the backs led Lent to score a fourth time with a cut back inside and fending off multiple Navy defenders.
UMW maintained possession for the final minutes of the match, kicking the ball to touch when the clock ran out. UMW scored five tries, and Navy scored three. All five tries by Mary Washington were converted by
Ava Ward.
