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A Great End

The Ville women were pumped from their last win and ready to play Lehigh. Not long after kick off Colleen Harnish scored after a pop kick over Lehigh's winger. Following that try, Christina Robertson ran in for a try. During the second half junior Chelsea Lauck scored her first try! Following her try, winger Franchlee Santiago scored off of a wing play. Christina Robertson then punched in another try to end the match 25-5. 

Another World

After a big upset at Kutztown the team pulled together and practiced hard for their next match. The weather was beautiful and helped to get everyone pumped. The match was fairly equal for most the game. In the first half junior winger, Franchlee Santiago scored a try after a long run down the side line. Colleen Harnish made the conversion after the try. Not much longer fly half, Christina Landis scored her first try for the team. Throughout the second half Millersville led 12-10. Swarthmore had a numerous amount of attempts but were held up by the Millersville defense. After remaining close to the try line for about 10 minutes, Colleen finally got a foot on the ball in mid tackle. This cleared the ball for Millersville and led to Christina Robertson getting the final try of the match, making the score 17-10.

Rivals

After losing a few girls to injuries and others not being able to play, Millersville only had about 18 girls the week of the Kutztown match. The teams biggest rival asked if they could have some of our players but unfortunately we did not have enough to give them. By Saturday's match Kutztown had pulled together a team of 15 in order to be able to play. The match was a sad turn out for Millersville with a final score of 44-5. Junior Jess Kasmiroski scored a try to get Millersville on the score board late in the second half. Due to the lack of numbers on both teams, there was no B-side match played.

Winners of the Raffle

Thank you to everyone who supported the team in this raffle and congrats to all the winners! The following is a list of the winners and the prize they won:

Purse- Natalie Walsten

Sunglasses- Aly Keefer

Rugby Ball- John Korpics

Long Sleeve Shirt- Becca Shertzer

T- Shirt- Sami Bewley

John Herrs Gift Card- Nikki Tomlinson

Weis Gift Card- Kevin Mackey

Weis Gift Card- Jay Bewley

Blockbuster Free Rental- Christina Landis

Mini Golf Passes- Robin Mccomsey

Grass Putting Passes- Tony Jackson

Bowling Passes- Jackie Hartshorne

Bowling Passes- Christina Landis

Home Opener

Millersville held Temple throughout the first half of the match until the last minute when Temple scored. In the second half many injuries threatened the few numbers Millersville already had. Once again the rookies stepped up and proved to be ready to play. As Millersville fought through tackles, scrums, and lineouts it was still hard to gain control of the ball. Temple ended up scoring 3 more tries in the second half of the game making the final score 22-0. "B-side bombers" went out and took the field as soon as the match was over. Originally what was suppose to be a 20 minute half luckily turned into 2 20 minute halfs. Millersville put many of substitutions in and changed positions throughout the "B-side" match. Late in the second half sophomore Colleen Harnish scored a try for Millersville and made her own conversion. Even with this Millersville still fell short to Temple.

First Match of Spring '08

After a month of practicing, the girls drove two hours to put together what they learned. In the first five minutes of the match, TCNJ got a break away and eightman, Angie Cress, attempted to make the tackle. Unfortunately her left knee gave out and she could not return to the game. Although it was sad to lose her, the rookies stepped up to fill her position. Jess Kasmiroski moved from flanker to eightman and Rebecca Ianone filled in as flanker. At halftime TCNJ was leading 15-0, which did not discourage Millersville. After a few substitutions and a pep talk, the girls went back on the field for another half. Sophomore Lyndsey Sturkey scored a try after Jackie Hartshorne stripped the ball from the backs. Christina Robertson's attempt for the conversion kick went slightly to the left. Millersville continued to push the ball down the field but unfortunately got held up. TCNJ ended up winning 22-5. Millersville still did not give up though and ended up winning "B" side 5-0 from a try scored by Freshman Amanda Maya. The girls have a tough week ahead to be ready for Temple but are excited to see future improvements throughout the season.

Between Seasons

Madeline Santee, the old President and captain of the team had made one last contribution to the team before leaving. She filled out an application for a National Guard Scholarship since we have had previous players go into the Army. The team found out on January 25th that we won the grant! This grant consisted of new balls, jerseys, shorts, socks, and mouth guards. Along with the good news, Chelsea Lauck, our junior prop has been in contact with F&M. She told their coach how we were looking for a new coach and he said he was willing to help us out. The officers met with Max and have decided to make him our new coach. Along with his help we will also be able to practice with F&M to have opposition during practice.The spring season is starting off good. Besides the grant and new coach we have also had a lot of new people join or show interest in joining our team. We are always looking for new players so pass the word around and keep encouraging girls to come out and play the sport we all love, RUGBY!

Fall Formal 2007

Almost all the girl’s on the team got dressed up, made a dish, and headed over to Franchlee’s house on Saturday for the team formal. There were all kinds of food like chicken, rice, mashed potatoes, homemade pizza, ziti, salad, great desserts, and much more. After eating and hearing about everybody’s busy lives, Maddie announced the new officers for next semester. Those results are:

President: Franchlee Santiago

Vice President: Colleen Harnish

Match Secretary: Aly Keefer

Treasurer: Becca Shertzer

Fall 2007- Scoring

Christina Robertson- 14 points- (2 tries, 1 conversion, 1 penalty kick)

Kenya Holly- 10 points- (2 tries)

Angie Cress- 5 points- (1 try)

Long rainy drive to Bloom

After a gloomy morning driving up to Bloomsburg the Millersville women came out to put up a good fight. The field was a mess due to the rain but the girls came out and gave it their best. Senior Maddie Santee finally returned to play one last game with the girls after a shoulder injury during in the middle of the season against Kutztown. While all the girls fought hard Millersville still had a hard time punching one in. The second half everyone came out and played 15 as 1! Although Ville fell short to Bloomsburg by a score of 15-0, it was a great way to end the season. The “B-side” looked very good against Bloomsburg and made them fight for the game. Sophomore Colleen Harnish also came back to play after an ACL injury early in the season against Delaware. “B-side” worked very good as a team and stepped up to show that they are ready for next season by defeating Bloom 10-0. The Women’s team is sad to say goodbye to Maddie Santee, Sarah Steinhauer, Kenya Holly, Christina Landis, and Heather Anderson. Everyone also gives there thanks to Andrew Fell for coaching the girls this semester and giving us his time however the Women’s team is looking for a new coach for the spring.

The Start of Fall 07

Since the first day of school the Women's team has been coming out strong to practice and games with many new faces this semester. The girls had a hard start to the season by losing to Delaware but came out hard the following weekend and almost clenched a win over Kutztown but lost 12-10 in the last two minutes of the game. Despite the loss and two girls being out for the rest of the season due to injuries, the girls pulled it together and came out against TCNJ at home. After the first half Millersville was on top and made a few changes to their roster letting the "B-side" girls to show us what they were made of. After the girls game our fly half, Christina Landis, played with the men's team and gave a guy a black eye but was taken out shortly after the start of the game due to a cut lip, which lead to six stitches. Only four days later the girls traveled in a coach bus up to Penn State. There were a few adjustments that the girls had to get use to like the roster and the field but regardless of everything the girls put in a 100% effort and took away valuable skills from the national champs. The team is excited for the next three league games that are all on the road.

'Ville Locks Down on Lock Haven

Rain, shine, heat, cold, and even...snow? With scattered flurries blowing in their faces, the ladies of 'Ville took the pitch against Lock Haven at 11 a.m. at their home field. 'Ville dominated and sophomore center Angie Cress made the first try of the game, followed by sophomore center Christina Robertson's conversion, putting 'Ville ahead 7-0. Lock Haven rallied for a try and conversion of their own, evening the score. Never disheartened, the ladies of 'Ville kept pushing and sophomore center Christina Robertson found the try zone and kicked her own conversion, putting Ville ahead 14-0 at the half. The Ville ruggeritas came out strong in the second half, and after much fighting on their side of the pitch, junior prop Maddie Santee ran a third Ville try. The match ended with 'Ville victorious 19-7 over Lock Haven. Great job this weekend, ladies! Get ready for your upcoming match against Susquehanna!

'Ville Falls Short to St. Joe's

After cruising out the Pennsylvania Turnpike and meandering through Fairmount Park, Ville stepped on the pitch to face the ladies of St. Joseph's University. Falling victim to the tendency of high tackling, the ladies of Ville allowed two tries from the St. Joe's side in the first half by long runs of the wingers. Keeping their heads up and in the game, the ladies of Ville continued to overpower St. Joe's in the scrums and lineouts, despite allowing one more try in the second half, falling behind 17-0. However, Ville dominated on their half of the field and Junior scrum-half Leah Greenfield punched in a try towards the conclusion of the game, putting Ville points up on the board. The B-side game was a victory for the Ville. The ladies of Ville look forward to their first home match of the season against Lock Haven this coming Saturday. Good job this past weekend!

Ville!Third Annual Easter Basket Service Project

For the third consecutive year, the ladies of 'Ville rugby gave back to the community by assembling 6 Easter baskets for children whose families are affected by AIDS. With 3 boys and 3 girls aged 3-12, the ruggeritas shopped for useful and fun items to make this upcoming holiday a happy one. Loading the "baskets" with books, games, toys (and even a little candy), the final product was an Easter basket the 'Ville women hope their children can enjoy. Happy holidays, everyone, and great job giving back, 'Ville!!

'Ville F&M Invitational Champions!

On what seemed to be a dreary, rainy day, the Ville ruggeritas traveled to neighbors F&M Women's Club home field in a content between four college club sides, including: F&M, Lebanon Valley, Susquehanna, and Millersville. 'Ville first faced the hosts F&M at 10 a.m. in cool, overcast climate. The sides played evenly, with the 'Ville under new management of Coach Andrew Fell, and battled back and forth across the pitch. Quick hands lead the ball to the hands of senior winger Kenya Holly, who burst through a hole and flew between the uprights. Freshman eightman Amber Zartman kicked the conversion putting 'Ville ahead 7-0. Still in the first half, Kenya Holly once again found herself with possession of the ball and penetrated through the F&M backline, making the score 12-0 with 'Ville in the lead. After continued battling up and down the pitch, the match ended with the 'Ville side victorious. The second match of the tournament was between Susquehanna and Lebanon Valley, with Lebanon Valley coming out the victors. After an interlude of high school boys' rugby, the tournament continued at 3 p.m. with a match between F&M and Susquehanna. F&M fought for a win. At the conclusion of the match, 'Ville took the field to face Lebanon Valley, finding themselves in a long struggle of power and rugby wit. After defending a Lebanon Valley try, Ville struck back in the second half and pushed sophomore center Christina Robertson in the try zone. Freshman eightman Amber Zartman kicked to put 'Ville ahead 7-0. The game came to a close with the young 'Ville side as the new tournament champions! Congratulations, ladies! The 'Ville would like to extend their deepest gratitude to their opponents and especially the F&M women's rugby club for hosting a fine tournament and even finer competition.

Alumni Match in the Works

In hopes of joining the men's team, the Ville women are organizing an alumni match to be held on May 5, 2007 at their "home field". Any interested alumni should contact the officers of the women's team (information on the contact link) or leave a message on the message board of this website. Please spread the word of this event! The ladies are really hoping for a successful Alumni Match and hope to begin a new and exciting tradition for Millersville Women's Rugby.

A Bittersweet End of the Semester

The ladies of Ville Rugby gathered one last time this fall semester to dine and give their best wishes to a beloved teammate and friend. Lisa Pension will be graduating this December. She has proven to be an asset to the Ville Rugby side and her presence will be sorely missed. Ville Rugby wishes her all the best in her future endeavors.Ville Rugby also found new leadership at the fall dinner. The ladies voted and elected new officers for the coming '07 season:

President - Maddie Santee

Vice-President - Christina Landis

Treasurer - Heather Anderson

Match Secretary - Leah Greenfield

Ville Victorious Over ESU In Final Match Of The Season

Excitement filled the air in Millersville this Saturday. Not only was it Homecoming and Halloween, but also it was the final match of the season for the ladies of Ville Rugby. As usual, the players woke up to the pounding of rain. Never disheartened, they made their way over to the pitch. As warm-ups commenced, the rain slowed to a stop, and the sun made an appearance. The ruggers of Ville and East Stroudsburg found themselves in mild, sunny weather for the first half of the match. Sophomore Center Angie Cress dove into the try zone in the first 10 minutes, giving Ville a 5-0 lead. Sophomore Lock Christina Robertson crashed in later on, and Junior Prop Maddie Santee kicked the conversion to give the Ville a lead of 12-0. ESU retaliated with a try of their own. The first half ended with a score of 12-5. ESU came on strong in the second half and pounded a try in, making the score a close 12-10. Not discouraged, Ville pounced back. Junior Prop Maddie Santee ran a try in off of a penalty and kicked the conversion for a lead of 19-10. Freshman Winger Colleen Harnish later ran in another try furthering the lead to 24-10. Ville continued to dominate play and ended the match with a victory. Congratulations on a job well done, ladies!

'Ville Welcomes New Head Coach!

You may be asking yourself, "Millersville Women did not have a head coach this semester?" Yes folks, it's true. However, Andrew "Johnny Rugby" Fell has graciously accepted our invitation to be the head coach beginning the 2007 spring season. Johnny Rugby played for the Millersville Men's Club team in recent years, but has often shared his experiences and vast knowledge of rugby with the women's team. We look forward to having Johnny Rugby a part of the team and anticipate another great season of 'Ville rugby!

'Ville Toughens Up For Temple

After a leisurely drive down the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Ville found themselves in Fairmount Park of Philadelphia. Not discouraged by Temple's winning record, Ville anticipated an excellent match. The first half, Ville found themselves fighting an uphill battle but getting pushed back down as Temple dominated their half and found the try zone 4 times, with one conversion. With Temple ahead 22-0, most teams would roll over in submission. However, Ville found a breath of new life in the second half and retaliated with domination of their own. Senior Flanker Lisa Pension touched down the first conversion to raise the spirits of the young Ville squad. After more series of rucking and mauling, Sophomore Lock Christina Robertson fought her way directly between the uprights. Ville continued to fight their way through the rest of the match and primarily stayed on their side of the field. The matched ended with a score of 22-10. Great effort, Ville! Use what you learned this week to beat East Stroudburg in the last match of the season!

TCNJ Trots To Victory Over Ville

Final score 29-5. Try punched in on a beautiful run by Senior Full-Back Sarah Steinhauer.

'Ville Vanquishes York

Final score 10-0, tries by Senior Outside Center Kenya Holly and Junior Prop Maddie Santee. Great job, ladies!

Ship's Ship Shape Rocks The Boat For 'Ville

'Ville began the second match of their season with a strong rush to the opposite side of the pitch and threatened to score a try early on. Shippensburg returned the favor and lurked dangerously close to the 'Ville try zone. Strong defense prevented any score until late in the first half when a Ship winger capitalized on a hole and sprinted the ball in. 'Ville seemed to be perfoming well with quite a few rookies in the first fifteen. In the second half, 'Ville stole the ball in a number of Ship's scrums, but Ship dominated in the lineouts and forced their way to the try two more times for a final score of 24-0. Not a team to get beat down by a loss, the 'Ville came back with a venegance in the B-side match. In 30 minutes, the 'Ville players found their way into the try zone three times! Work hard this week at practice, ladies! 'Ville will be traveling to York College this coming Saturday, September 30th to face the ruggers of YCP.

'Ville Breaks In New Pitch Versus Bloomsburg

While ruggers and spectators may have awoke to what seemed a pleasant morning, they set out to Lancaster Rec. Fields in the pouring rain. However, the rain is no stranger to the ladies of 'Ville, and they looked forward to playing on the plush grass of their new field. When it came time for the kickoff, the rain had subsided and transformed the day into wonderful rugby weather. 'Ville started out strong and dominated in front of the try zone. Bloomsburg fought back and began lurking dangerously close to the 'Ville try zone. On one of her many runs, sophomore winger Franchlee Santiago burst into the try zone and touched it down right behind the uprights. Junior prop Maddie Santee kicked the conversion for a lead of 7-0. Bloomsburg countered with a try of their own before the close of the first half. The second half remained scoreless, but senior flanker Lisa Pension threatened with a try that was touched down beyond the zone. The B Side match was exciting as the 'Ville had the opporunity to give their rookies a chance to play. Freshman hooker Jenna Greenfield, senior winger Kenya Holly, and freshman winger Colleen Harnish all contributed tries in the match, however the conversion attempts fell short. Bloomsburg had a try of their own, making the final score 15-7. Great job, 'Ville, and congratulations of a match well played, rookies! Come check out the 'Ville this coming Saturday, September 23rd at 11 a.m. as they face Shippensburg. The Lancaster Roses will be playing a match afterwards, for another Saturday full of rugby.

School Renovations Sends Ville Rugby To New Home Pitch

The beloved Stayer Field Pitch is no more. As of this summer, construction has commenced in order to build a new baseball field. This, of course, Leaves Millersville Women's and Men's Rugby Club homeless. However, with wonderful cooperation from our new friends from the Lancaster Recreation Facilities, 'Ville will be hosting their home games at the fields located on 999 across from the Manor Center. The pitches are less than 4 miles away from campus. This coming Saturday, September 16th, marks the only date that both the women's and men's clubs will have home games. The ladies of 'Ville will be facing Bloomsburg at 11 a.m., and the men will appear versus Scranton at 1. Come out and support the teams at their temporary home field for a what is sure to be a great day of rugby!

'Ville Ladies Edge Susquehanna in the Rain (4/22/06)Contributed by Maddie Santee

The cold and wet weather followed Millersville up to Selinsgrove for their matchup against Susquehanna University. However, armed with healthy players and a grassy pitch, 'Ville came out strong. An early scrum and sharp ball-handling led the 'Ville within 15 meters of the try line with a penalty on Susquehanna. Sophomore Tight-Head Maddie Santee tapped the ball and dove in a hole in the defensive line for a try. Sophomore Center Marielle Kuhlman nailed a difficult conversion kick for an early lead of 7-0. Susquehanna threatened with stints in the Millersville half of the field, but the 'Ville managed to maintain control of the ball and the field. This carried on through the second half. As the skies opened up and unleashed even heavier rain, the 'Ville attempted to pound in several more tries. To their dismay, each one was held up. Tremendous efforts all over the field kept 'Ville in a controlling position as they dominated the second half. The game concluded with a win for 'Ville, 7-0. With a win under their belt, the young Millersville squad anticipates another strong performance as they face national championship contenders University of Maryland in Maryland this coming Saturday.

Stalwart Brandywine Club Side Blanks 'Ville-Contributed by Maddie Santee

In what is now becoming the staple of Millersville Rugby, the match was played in cold and wet conditions. With both sides somewhat short of players, Brandywine and Millersville opted for two 30-minute halves. An early scrum led to the Brandywine eightman finding a large hole along the sideline and cruising in for a try. Within 20 minutes, Brandywine had racked up 3 tries and made only 2 conversions, making the score 19-0. Millersville had not yet melded their 15 players into 1 unit, but rather than being discouraged, Brandywine would be facing a new team in the second half. Although players were cold and hurting, Millersville stepped up their game tremendously. The rucks and mauls were being dominated by the Ville, and they found their way to Brandywine's side of the field and threatened with their presence the entire second half. In what Coach John Davidson would deem "glorious", the backs had multiple sweeps down the line and pushed the Ville offense up. The forwards showed no mercy in the scrums, even with brand-new rookies in the black pack. Tackling picked up and Ville began using their heads and worked towards keeping possession. With injuries threatening the numbers and conditions worsening, it was opted for the game to be cut a few minutes short. The Ville continued to keep pressure on Brandywine. As is usual in muddy, rainy games, the forwards made tremendous efforts at keeping the ball and moving it towards the Ville try zone. They were even able to get the ball out the backs for some gains. Many players from both the pack and the backs burst through holes and made attempts at the try zone. Unfortunately, time and players were not in the Ville's favor and the game went to Brandywine 19-0. Millersville looks to heal their wounds and work on melding as a unit as they did in the second half of today's match and prepare for what is sure to be an exciting home game next Saturday against Ursinus College.

'Ville Ladies Complete Second Annual Community Service Project

For the second consecutive year, just prior to the Easter holiday, the ladies of 'Ville teamed up with "The Gathering Place" in an effort to make a special holiday happen for some under-privileged children. "The Gathering Place" reached out to the community, providing more than 100 names of children who lived in families affected with AIDS. This year the 'Ville players made four baskets for two teenage girls and two elementary school boys. The 'Ville ruggers used crates, bins, and baskets; and stuffed them with candy, t-shirts, toys, school supplies, make-up and other items in hope to make the children happy during this Easter season. The ladies of Millersville had a great time in preparing the baskets and highlighted the evening with a pasta dinner attended by all of the players. The 'Ville ladies will undertake another new project next Spring in an effort to "give a little back" to the surrounding community. Good job 'Ville!!!

'Ville Ladies Fall to St. Josephs (4/1/06)

In the second match of the Spring Season, the 'Ville ladies hosted St. Josephs University on a very windy day at Stayer Field. From the outset, 'Ville faced adversity, missing at least 8 A-siders due to previous engagements. However, the very young 'Ville side stood up strongly despite falling 5 - 0. St. Joes capitalized primarily on the line-outs most of the day, and executed several back-line phases very nicely to score the only try of the match. The highlight of the day was the return of flanker Lisa Pension, who spent all of last semester occupied with military duty aiding in the recovery of Hurricane Katrina. Lisa was phenomenal in her return, dominating play on both sides of the ball. The 'Ville ladies look to improve and get more experience as they face a very reputable Brandywine Women's Senior Club side this Saturday at Millersville.

Young 'Ville Ladies Split with Ship and Gettysburg in Spring Opener Contributed by Kenya Holly

On an excellent Saturday for opening day, the ladies of 'Ville travelled to Gettysburg College to face the "A"-sides of Gettysburg College and Shippensburg University. In the first match-up of the day, the 'Ville ladies came out extremely strong against Gettysburg. The young back-line was stellar early on; Junior Full-Back Sarah Steinhauer filled a gap and touched down a try not even 15 minutes into the match. With a lot of rust on their shoulders, the rucking became a bit sloppy and the ladies should have performed much better defensively. However, the young XV (see First XV page) performed admirably. Early in the second half, converted Fly-Half Kenya Holly found a hole in the defense and sprinted in for a try from 15 meters away. Sophomore Tight-Head Maddie Santee nailed the conversion. Gettysburg made strong attempts at coming back in the second half, primarily exploiting the holes in the young 'Ville back-line. However, 'Ville remained strong and held out to defeat Gettysburg 12 - 3. In the second match versus Ship, Millersville's "A" side regrouped despite missing 5 starters in the pack. 'Ville threatened to score on several occasions, but were unable to find the try-zone. Ship consistently found the holes in the backline and were exceptional in the rucks. Final score: 12 - 0, Ship. Despite the narrow win against Gettysburg and the loss vs. Ship, the ladies gained valuable experience and look to come out strong against St. Joseph's this Saturday at 1:00pm at Stayer Field.

'Ville Ruggers Earn All-Star Status (11/13/05)

For the second consecutive year, several 'Ville ruggers geared up and headed to York College to compete for a spot on the EPRU All-Star Select Side. Representatives from 29 women's teams in all 3 divisions were invited to try-out. At the end of the day, 5 'Ville players were selected as All-Stars: Irene Maingi, Amanda Waltermyer, Jill Mininger, Kenya Holly and Maddie Santee. These players will represent the EPRU on November 19-20 as they face the All-Stars from the Potomac and Virginia Rugby Unions. These players also have the right to try-out for the MARFU All-Star Select-Side in the Spring. For anyone interested in attending the All-Star tournament, matches this Saturday will begin at 12 noon at Edgely Field in Philadelphia, PA. Click on the EPRU website on the "Links" portion of this website for more details and directions. Congratulations ladies on a job very well done and for representing 'Ville in very fine fashion once again! Best of luck this weekend!

Fall 2005 Summary

9/10/05 - Pre-Season - L/Y Thorns 41 - 'Ville 12

9/17/05 - Pre-Season - West Chester 37 - 'Ville 0

9/24/05 - Divisional - 'Ville 30 - Widener 0

10/1/05 - Non-Divisional - 'Ville 15 - ESU 5

10/8/05 - Divisional - York 5 - 'Ville 0

10/22/05 - Divisional - 'Ville 35 - Swarthmore 0

10/29/05 - Playoffs - Kutztown 15 - 'Ville 12

Overall Record: 3 wins, 4 losses, 0 ties - Points for: 104; Points against: 103Divisional Record: 2 wins, 1 loss, 0 ties - Points for: 65; Points against: 5Playoff Record: 0 wins, 1 loss, 0 ties - Points for: 12; Points against: 15ScoringKenya Holly - Junior Outside-Center - 30 points (6 tries)Sarah Steinhauer - Junior Full-Back - 15 points (3 tries)Irene Maingi - Senior Fly-Half - 10 points (2 tries)Amanda Waltermyer - Senior Eightman - 10 points (2 tries)Franchlee Santiago - Freshman Winger - 10 points (2 tries)Kate MacJarrett - Senior Lock - 7 points (1 try, 1 conversion)MaryAnn Lux - Senior Inside-Center - 5 points (1 try)Jill Mininger - Senior Flanker - 5 points (1 try)Danielle Latronica - Senior Winger - 5 points (1 try)Rebecca Runk - Sophomore Winger - 5 points (1 try)Heather Hooper - Junior Scrum-Half - 2 points (1 conversion)

'Ville Ruggers Lose Battle to Kutztown in EPRU Play-Offs

In a much anticipated match-up in the quarter-final championships, the ladies of 'Ville travelled to Kutztown to face a very tough and highly favored Bears side. Both teams showed up ready to play and battled tooth and nail throughout the entire match. 'Ville showed their versatility, using both forward and back play to advance the ball down the pitch. Both sides would trade tries in which proved to be a see-saw battle all day, however Kutztown capitalized on a penalty kick in the final minutes of the match to seal the victory. Final score: Kutztown 15 - 'Ville 12. Sophomore Winger Becca Runk and Senior Winger Danielle Latronica both notched tries for 'Ville and Junior Scrummy Heather Hooper also added a conversion. The 'Ville ladies look to stay in shape and in good form as they prepare for their Spring endeavour.

'Ville Ladies Fall to YCP

In which proved to be a pivotal match in the season, the ladies of 'Ville hosted York College on a very rainy and muddy Saturday morning. 'Ville worked hard all week, and the results showed. The forwards played and battled tremendously despite the horrible weather conditions. However, the 'Ville backs had a rough go with the slippery ball and terrible footing. York found the try-zone midway through the first half when fly-half Stacy Baker dummied and cruised in from about 15 meters away. Going downhill in the second-half, 'Ville threatened to score on 5 or 6 occasions but were unable to cross the try-line. Despite several late threats by 'Ville, the York defense held strong and secured a 5 - 0 victory. 'Ville looks to bounce back after a week of rest and fare well against Swarthmore College in their next divisional match on October 22.

'Ville Ladies Survive ESU 10/1/05

On a unusually warm Saturday morning, the 'Ville ladies (very well short-handed) piled into their cars for a 2 1/2 hour trip to the Poconos. Once again, 'Ville faced adversity early on, having several scratches to the starting XV. The number of injured players ran-up to 6, including 5 former A-Side Starters. The numbers were horrible; ESU tallied about 35 players while the 'Ville ladies only travelled with about 20. 'Ville struggled early-on due to all of the player changes, but they eventually found a feel for each other. The East Stroudsburg pack was particularly large and strong and held-up the 'Ville forwards in the first half of play. Even though 'Ville found the try-zone 5 times in the first half, they either got held-up or ran out of the try-zone. The first half resulted in a 0 - 0 tie. However in the second half of play, the backs of 'Ville took over the match. Prolific try-scorer Kenya Holly (Junior Outside-Center) began the try-scoring about 10 minutes into the second-half of play. ESU responded with a try of their own, but Kenya Holly once again broke free from 20 meters for another score. Then on a weak-side counter, Junior Full-Back Sarah Steinhauer cruised from about 40 meters out for a try to close out the scoring. Final score: 'Ville 15 - ESU 5. The 'Ville Killer B's were victorious once again in a 10 - 0 victory. Sophomore Winger Rebecca Runk notched both tries for 'Ville.

'Ville Ladies Run Past Widener in First Divisional Match-Up (9/24/05)

On a gorgeous September morning for rugby, the ladies of 'Ville sported their new jerseys and took to the pitch to face a 34 player-strong Widener side. The match was completely even-up early until 'Ville Eightman (Senior and Captain) Amanda Waltermyer popped in a try on a pick-up from 15 meters out at about the 20 minute mark. Not even 5 minutes later, after a crash, Senior Lock Kate MacJarrett snuck in a try of her own. From that time on, it was all about the 'Ville backs. The center tandem of MaryAnn Lux (Senior Inside-Center) and prolific try-scorer Kenya Holly (Junior Outside-Center) would rule the remainder of the day. Holly broke free for a try with 9:00 left in the first half. Lux followed suit not even 1 minute later with a try of her own. 'Ville rebounded once again with Kenya Holly breaking away for yet another try with no time remaining in the first-half. Widener rebounded at half-time and did well in the second period of play. The lone try of the half was from 'Ville Senior Fly-Half Irene Maingi who broke free for a fifty meter try after a sweet cherry pick. Final score: 'Ville 30 - Widener 0. 'Ville B's rucked and rolled to a 12 - 0 victory. Sarah Steinhauer made the 10:00 ESPN SportsCenter highlight reel with what would be called the "try of the year". The 'Ville ladies look to build and fine tune as they go up against East Stroudsburg University on October 1st.

Golden Rams Whitewash 'Ville 37 - 0 (9/17/05)

In their second pre-season match-up of the Fall, the 'Ville ladies travelled to West Chester University to face the Golden Rams who came into the match with a #13 ranking in the USA. It was a very different atmosphere for 'Ville, having match programmes published and an official PA announcer calling play-by-play. 'Ville shook off their pre-match jitters and came out tough early. 'Ville camped inside the West Chester 22 meter line for the first 20 minutes of the first half but failed to put up any points. In the 27th minute of the first half, WCU fly-half Whitney Hartshorne popped a kick from the 'Ville 40 meter line which took a freak bounce into the hands of Scrummy Rachel Fink who cruised in for the first try of the match. WCU center Steph Burkhardt followed suit shortly thereafter breaking through the 'Ville Back-line to post another try. From there on out, it was all West Chester who tallied 37 total points to 'Ville's 0. 'Ville looks to work hard and come out tough in their first divisional match against Widener University on Saturday at Stayer Field.

Thorns Dump 'Ville in Fifteens Debut (9/10/05)

On an excellent September morning for rugby, the young ladies of Millersville travelled down the road to the Roses RFC pitch to face the newly formed Lancaster/York Thorns Women's Rugby side. Millersville was very spotty in terms of organization and numbers, missing a great deal of players due to scholastic obligations and personal reasons. Millersville tried to force the issue early with their forwards, but were shut down by the Thorn pack who used their excellent poaching skills in the rucks to take control of the match. Led by Scrummy Melissa Whalen (YCP, EPRU All-Star), Fly-Half Sarah McCusker (YCP, EPRU All-Star), Full-Back Adrienne Blizzard (YCP, EPRU All-Star), Inside-Center Kelly (Shaw) Christman ('Ville), Hooker Laura Cronin (YCP) and #8 Kelli Johnson (Franklin and Marshall), the Thorns primarily used their back-line and steam-rolled to a 29-0 halftime lead. However, the young ladies of 'Ville perservered and never lost hope. In the second half, the rucks worked well and the back-line began to take form. Thanks to the excellent ball movement from Senior Fly-Half Irene Maingi, Senior Inside-Center MaryAnn Lux, and Junior Outside-Center Kenya Holly, 'Ville progressively moved forward in the second half of play. Kenya Holly proved to be the hero of the day for Millersville, scoring 2 line-breaking tries. Senior Lock Kate MacJarrett converted Holly's second try to make the final score 41 - 12. 'Ville looks forward to a hard week of practice as they go against West Chester University in a highly publicized non-divisional match-up this Saturday at West Chester.

Lancaster/York Women Compete in Philly Cheese Steak 7s (July 16, 2005)

Depite poor practice attendances and numerous players not being able to attend due to personal obligations, Lancaster/York scrambled and managed to enter 2 competitive sides in the Cheese Steak 7s tourney on Saturday. Although thunderstorms were in the forecast, the weather held off and a great rugby day was had by everyone who participated. For the benifit of all, L/Y decided to enter the Women's Club players as Lancaster/York I and the College Girls as Lancaster/York II.In their first match of the day, Lancaster/York I played very well but were outlasted by a tough Maryland Stingers side losing 22 - 15. Sarah McCusker scored 2 tries and Kelli Johnson added another in the heart-breaking defeat. L/Y II began their day against Philly Women II. L/Y II was very tough on defense, but couldn't put up any points against the speedsters from Philadelphia falling 20 - 0. Lancaster/York II took to the pitch again to face a very reputable Lehigh Valley side (Maulie Maguires). In what was probably the best highlight of the entire tournament, L/Y II's Stacy Baker popped a brilliant kick about 20 meters over the defense, caught her own kick in the air, sprinted in for a try, then made her own conversion. Despite a great effort from L/Y II, Lehigh Valley prevailed 20 - 7. In the final match of open play for Lancaster/York I, Kelli Johnson scored a quick try against Harrisburg for an early 5 - 0 lead. However L/Y I couldn't match up with the size and speed of the Harlots, eventually falling 43 - 5.In the championships rounds, the Lancaster/York II side agreed to get bumped up to the championship bracket and fell to the Philadelphia I side in the 5th place championship, 34 - 0. In the consolation semi-finals, despite playing very well, Lancaster/York I were outlasted by Philly Women II 19 -5. Adrienne Blizzard scored the lone try for L/Y I.Despite not bringing home any hardware this Summer, all players who paricipated in the sevens program benefited in many ways. The Lancaster/York Women's RFC got off to a great organizational start, and the collegiate players were able to maintain their conditioning levels and continue to improve their skills. More importantly, everone had FUN!!! Hopefully everyone will come out again next Summer for a competitive 7s season. See below for a list of players who competed in Philadelphia last Saturday:

Lancaster/York I (Women's Club Side)

Jordan Arnold - Lancaster/York (Franklin & Marshall College)

Adrienne Blizzard - Lancaster/York (York College of PA)

Kelly Christman (Captain) - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Kelli Johnson - Lancaster/York (Franklin & Marshall College)

Tammy McCoy - Lancaster/York

Sarah McCusker - Lancaster/York (York College of PA)

Melissa Maiorino - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Lauren Payne - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Lancaster/York II (Collegiate Side)

Heather Anderson - Millersville University

Stacy Baker (Captain) - York College of PA

Shannon Clemick - Millersville University

Jocelyn Karpy - Florida State University

Irene Maingi - Millersville University

Kate Marrazzo - Temple University

Jill Mininger - Millersville University

Laura Sekul - Millersville University

Kellie Wertz - York College of PA

Lancaster/York Women Debut in Harrisburg 7s Tourney (June 25, 2005)

On a very hot and humid Saturday morning, the newly formed Lancaster/York Women's rugby club traveled to Fort Indiantown Gap to compete in the 19th annual Harrisburg 7s rugby tournament. The side was made up of alumni from Millersville University, York College, Franklin & Marshall College, as well as current players from 'Ville, YCP and the Warwick Swarm.In what was their very first match together as a side and first 7s matches for some, the Lancaster/York side got off to a dismal start against a very strong Harrisburg side losing 36 - 0. However after losing their opening-match jitters and after an hour of relaxing, the ladies came out fierce against Harrisburg's second side. Ex-'Ville Scrummy Tasha Strausser recorded the first-ever try for Lancaster/York not even 2 minutes into the match. L/Y's game was strong with super hard running by the forwards and very tight defense all around. Melissa Maiorino scored a hat-trick of tries in the match which were set-up by beautiful passes and excellent support play. Sarah McCusker also added a try and Stacy Baker notched 2 conversions for L/Y in the 29 - 7 victory. In their third match of the day, hoping to qualify for the championship round of 8, L/Y came out strong against a very scrappy and speedy Philadelphia second side. Melissa Maiorino scored a quick try not even 1 minute into the match and Kelli Johnson added another as L/Y jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead. However, Philly posted 22 straight points, ruining the play-off hopes for L/Y. Lancaster/York fell short by 6 differential points in qualifying for the play-off rounds. The final results showed L/Y finishing 9th out of 14 sides.More importantly, all of the 12 players who traveled with L/Y saw ample playing time. Lancaster/York saw many different looks, and have a lot to build upon as they will enter 2 competitive sides in the Philadelphia Cheese Steak 7s tourney on July 16. Special congrats to all the ladies who made a very impressive debut!!! See below for the roster of the team:

Stacy Baker - York College of PA

Amber Bireley (Captain) - Millersville University

Kelli Johnson - Lancaster/York (Franklin & Marshall College)

Sarah McCusker - Lancaster/York (York College of PA)

Irene Maingi - Millersville University

Melissa Maiorino - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Jill Mininger - Millersville University

Stacy Montgomery - Millersville University

Alice Myers - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Lauren Payne (Captain) - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Tasha Strausser - Lancaster/York (Millersville University)

Annie Zimmerman - Warwick HS Girls

Coach K Says Bon Voyage

In a very sad time for 'Ville Rugby, Coach Kristin Sands will be moving on to bigger and better things. All of 'Ville Rugby congratulates Coach K on her accomplishments and her big move to Hawaii. 'Ville will miss Kristin dearly. Kristin's coaching skills have brought our young side to a higher level of play in many ways. We all wish you the best of luck and hope that you stay close in touch. Hope that you stay tuned to see Millersville climb their way to the top of the EPRU. We'll love you eternally! Don't get too tan!

K'Town Stops 'Ville in Spring Finale 19 - 10

On a very downcast and gloomy Spring morning, the young ladies of 'Ville headed up Route 222 to face the Kutztown University women in their last match of the Spring. Both sides were very evenly matched, however K'town went on top mid-way through the first half when they got the ball out to their #14 who sprinted past the entire 'Ville secondary. Millersville's defense was tough, however due to penalties and turnovers, 'Ville failed to put up any points in the first half. Not even 5 minutes into the second period, 'Ville came battling back. Freshman Prop Maddie Santee touched down a try off of a very strong crash making the score 7 - 5. However, the K'Town backline cruised when they got ball out and scored 20 minutes into the half making the score 14 - 5. 'Ville was gallant as Fly-Half Irene Maingi snuck in a try with 15 minutes to go to narrow the margin to 14 - 10, however K'Town reciprocated with a try of their own to seal the 19 - 10 victory.

Young Ladies of 'Ville Edge Brandywine in Dogfight

On an absolutely beautiful Spring morning, the 'Ville women loaded up their cars and headed to the cow pastures of Chester county to face a very reputable Brandywine women's side. Conditions were ideal, however the 'Ville ladies faced adversity for the first time this season missing a total of 6 players, including several starters. Both sides established defense early as ball control was between the twenties for most of the first half. 'Ville showed their newly learned versatility, mixing the rucks and mauls equally and controlling ball for most of the period. 'Ville's game was solid, finally bringing it together and playing fifteen as one. On what was an absolutely beautiful play, 'Ville touched down the only try of the match in the 25th minute of the first half. After winning a scrumdown at the Brandywine 35 meter line, Scrummy Leah Greenfield cleared to Irene Maingi who zipped a pop kick over the heads of Brandywine's defending back line. Outside-Center Kenya Holly scooped up the kick in full stride after the first bounce and touched it down in between the posts. Amanda Waltermyer added the conversion. In the second half, 'Ville threatened to score on several occasions, however the only points scored were on a penalty kick by Brandywine's #10. Final score: Millersville 7 - Brandywine 3. It is not fair mentioning any names for the awesome efforts of 'Ville, as ALL of the forwards and the backs brought their A-games and finally came together as one. EVERY PLAYER was a MVP on this day. NICELY DONE, ladies. Millersville would like to thank Brandywine for hosting and Pete Hesler for reffing a great match. 'Ville looks to keep up the momentum and close out the season strong at Kutztown this Saturday.

Clarion Handles 'Ville on a Gorgeous Saturday

On a very glorious day for rugby, the 'Ville women went to work against Allegheny powerhouse Clarion University at Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday. Clarion started well, but 'Ville made it a point to show up and play. 'Ville Flanker Lisa Pension destroyed the Clarion side on both sides of the ball. Junior Hooker Jill Mininger dominated as well, as the 'Ville pack was easily out-weighed by 200 lbs. or more in the scrumdowns. Clarion jumped out to a quick 10 - 0 lead with some overloads in the back-line, but 'Ville held strong, threatening to score on at least 6 occasions in both halves. Junior #8 Amanda Waltermyer scored on a penalty kick with about 10 minutes remaining in the first half to cut the Clarion lead. Junior Inside-Center MaryAnn Lux was the devil on defense, mowing down any Clarion player who stepped in her way. Senior Fly-Half Irene Maingi engineered several late drives for 'Ville, but the Clarion defense held true and pulled out a 20 - 3 victory. Despite the loss and the score, the young ladies of Millersville are beginning to show some progress. Millersville would like to thank Clarion for traveling over 3 hours, the women of Harrisburg for hosting, and ref Harry Lingle for an awesome day for rugby. Nicely done, 'Ville.

St. Joe's Topples Young 'Ville Side in Downpour

On a very rainy day at Stayer Field, the 'Ville women showed up to play their last match on their beloved pitch. As the rain fell, both sides were very evenly matched. St. Joe's managed to pop in an unconverted try mid-way thru the first half, but both defenses held tight throughout the remainder of the match. 'Ville Fly-Half Irene Maingi made several long breakaways in the second-half, but the St. Joe's defense held strong. Final score: St. Joseph's 5 - Millersville 0. 'Ville looks to build and stay strong as they go up against Allegheny Rugby Union's powerhouse Clarion University Gathering Place" reached out to the community, providing more than 100 names of children who lived in families affected with AIDS. The 'Ville ladies went all out and created a total of 12 Easter baskets for children ranging in ages from 7 - 12 years old. The 'Ville ruggers used crates, bins, and baskets; and stuffed them with candy, t-shirts, socks, school supplies, toys and other items in hope to make a few children happy during the Easter season. The ladies of Millersville had a great time in preparing the baskets and felt a great bonding experience in doing so. The 'Ville ladies will undertake another new project next semester in an effort to "give a little back" to the surrounding community. Good job 'Ville!!!

York Slams 'Ville in Spring Opener

In the initial match-up of the Spring season, the 'Ville ladies travelled to York to take on a very determined York side. York proved to be the better side in defeating 'Ville 35 - 0. The York forwards were led by All-American Prop Stacy Baker, while Scrummy Sheena Yohe and Fly-Half Sarah McCusker engineered York to numerous scores. 'Ville looks to keep their heads up and play strong against St. Joseph's at home on April 2...First Practice Set for February 15Please be aware that the third and fourth mini-camps have been cancelled! The first mandatory practice is set for Tuesday February 15 @ 4:30pm at Stayer Field. Everyone wishing to play this Spring must attend! Everyone please bring rugby boots as we will be running on the pitch. Any skills routines missed or scheduled for the camps will be covered during the first week of practice. Future practices schedules will be discussed at this time. Anyone with questions, problems or concerns, please contact Amanda, MaryAnn, Coach D or Coach K...

'Ville Ruggers Earn All-Star Status (11/13/2004)

On a windy and very chilly November Saturday, two 'Ville ruggers geared up and set out for Swarthmore College to compete amongst the best players in the EPRU for a spot on the much envied EPRU All-Star Select-Side. Despite competing against approximately 60 of the finest players in the Union, Junior Inside-Center MaryAnn Lux and Junior Hooker Jill Mininger laced-up their rugby boots in hope to be named as EPRU All-Stars. As usual, MaryAnn played stellar on defense; and when she had time, distributed the ball nicely through her back-line. In tight situations, MaryAnn dummied or hit the holes hard to move her side downfield. Jill was phenomenal with her throw-ins in the line-outs and strong with her hooks in the scrumdowns. Jill was relentless in support all day... To punctuate her efforts, Jill touched down a try in the final minutes of the scrimmage portion of the try-outs. At the end of the day, all of the 'Ville fanfare was ecstatic when Head Coach Bill "Oscar" Matthews named both Jill and MaryAnn as All-Stars. All of 'Ville wishes MaryAnn and Jill the best of luck this coming weekend as they represent both 'Ville and the EPRU and travel to Richmond, Virginia to compete against the best players in the Mid-Atlantic region as the EPRU All-Stars face the best players from the Potomac and Virginia rugby unions. Of the 29 total sides who represent the EPRU in all 3 divisions, see below for the most elite players who earned All-Star status among all of these clubs:

Kristin Aliberto ~ Philadelphia Women

Stacy Baker ~ York College

Sarah Chesney ~ University of Pennsylvania

Chia Chung ~ Princeton University

Tanya Curtis ~ Lock Haven University

Kate Davis ~ Drexel University

Lindsay Donnellan ~ St. Joseph's University

Susan Forshner ~ St. Joseph's University

Christine Fye ~ Lock Haven University

Chrissy Hunsberger ~ Lock Haven University

Maryann Lux ~ Millersville University

Sarah McCusker ~ York College

Vanesha McGee ~ Temple University

Kathleen Merrick ~ Swarthmore College

Jill Mininger ~ Millersville University

Samantha Mosser ~ Temple University

Jenn Null ~ Temple University

Maura Quinn ~ University of Delaware

Tiffany Roesler ~ Bloomsburg University

Jane Sachs ~ Swarthmore College

Alexis Simon ~ York College

Kathleen Walsh ~ St. Joseph's University

'Ville Women Represent EPRU in D1 Championships (11/6-11/7/2004)

On an excellent Fall weekend for rugby, the 'Ville women travelled to Lehigh Valley for championship weekend. In the semi-finals on Saturday, 'Ville faced West Chester University who was seeded first in the EPRU and ranked 14th in the nation. 'Ville brought their A-game and fought WCU tooth and nail. Both teams were very evenly matched as West Chester took a 5 - 0 lead into the half. 'Ville played their game well against a very strong West Chester side. However, WCU proved to be too strong and prevailed 17 - 0. On Sunday, bruised and battered, the 'Ville women faced Lock Haven in the consolation. Lock Haven came out very strong and physical once again, and defeated Millersville 24 - 0. Despite both defeats, Millersville played some excellent rugby this weekend and represented the EPRU well. Special congratulations to the Princeton University Tigers who defeated West Chester University 25 - 8 to capture the EPRU Division 1 Championship. Also congratulations to the Temple University women who defeated York College 17 - 5 to win their second consecutive EPRU Division 2 Championship.

Lock Dominates 'Ville in Regular Season Finale (10/30/2004)

On what was a very gloomy Saturday afternoon, the 'Ville women "somehow found out" where and when to play against an up-and-coming Lock Haven University side. Despite all of the confusion in terms of the match time and directions, both sides were present and came out ready to play. Lock Haven came out very physical, and 'Ville came out with easily their worst performance of the season. Lock scored a converted try about 15 minutes into the match on an overload with the backs. The 'Ville secondary couldn't match-up with the overly aggressive Lock wingers. With 10 minutes left in the first half, Lock Haven again punched in another converted try. 'Ville came within 5 meters of scoring twice at the end of the first half, but failed to put up any points. Several of the 'Ville starters were roughed up early and substitutions were made accordingly. Lock Haven dictated the style of play, and Millersville obliged. Mauls all day long, poaching in the few rucks that actually happened, and high tackles galore. Credit should be given to Referee Sherri Magnuson who nicely managed the unorthodox style of play. The "true" 'Ville offense which thrived against Ship, Kutztown and Princeton was completely non-existent on this day. In what seemed a neanderthal type style of rugby from the 1980s, the Lock Haven women physically overwhelmed Millersville and scored 2 additional unconverted tries in the second half of play. Rucks were non-existent and mauls prevailed, as the 'Ville Women could not adjust to the physical strength of Lock Haven. By the end of the match, 'Ville's bench was empty due to injury replacements. Final score: Lock Haven 24 - Millersville 0. Upon learning who their opponent will be in the first round of the EPRU semi-final championships, 'Ville will structure next week's practices accordingly. 'Ville welcomes all fans to see them compete in the EPRU Division 1 semi-final and final playoffs on November 6th and 7th at Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, PA. Special congratulations to the 'Ville women for earning an outright playoff berth in the new D1 format where only the top four sides advance to the semi-final playoffs. Nicely done, Millersville! Everyone should be very proud!

'Ville Women Defeat #7 Nationally Ranked Princeton University (10/23/2004)

On what was an absolutely gorgeous Fall day for rugby, the Millersville women ruggers made many extra efforts to make a special day of rugby happen. In the first match-up of the day (which was a re-match of last year's national championship), Princeton University defeated Penn State University 31 - 0. Most of the Princeton Tiger's A-side kept their boots laced to face a very determined 'Ville side. 'Ville came out tough, knowing that they would go up against one of the better sides in the country. 'Ville came out strong against Princeton's side who was evenly mixed with both A-siders and B-siders. Millersville was excellent early; they dominated the rucks and scrums, and the crash ball worked to a tee. Millersville drove hard early and Senior scrummy Tasha Strausser popped in an unconverted try just 10 minutes into the match. Both defenses dominated one another for the remainder of both the first and second halves. However, with 5 minutes to go, the Princeton back-line punched in a converted try from 20 meters away. PrincetonPrinceton 7. The win against Princeton seemingly assures 'Ville a spot in the EPRU D1 Play-offs. The 'Ville women look to remain strong as they go up against a tough Lock Haven side this coming Saturday...

National Venue Set to Take Place on 'Ville Pitch (10/20/2004)

On Saturday October 23, the #1 ranked team in the country, the Penn State University Nittany Lions will travel to the 'Ville pitch to take on the #7 ranked Princeton University Tigers at 11:00am. This will be a re-match of the USARFU Women's Division 1 National Championship which was held this past May. Princeton will be looking for revenge in this informal match-up, after losing to Penn State 24 - 8 in the big dance last Spring. The Princeton ladies will keep their boots laced and later face the Millersville women in a 1:00pm match which will count towards the standings in EPRU Fall Division 1 play. All rugby enthusiasts in the area are encouraged to come out and watch an excellent exhibition of top-notch women's rugby. 'Ville looks to impress their own and come out strong against Princeton.

West Chester Women Shut Down 'Ville (10/9/2004)

Once again facing adversity, the 'Ville women took to the pitch to face a 31-player strong West Chester side on Saturday morning. West Chester came into the match with a #13 ranking in the USA. Due to Fall break complications, Millersville was only able to dress 17 players, missing several starters. Both sides came out strong in the first half. 'Ville fought tough on defense and shut down the West Chester attack, while executing the crash-ball and pushing downfield. West Chester was able to punch in an unconverted try in the 21st minute after an over-load on the strong side. However, 'Ville came back strong and controlled ball inside the WCU 22 on several posessions. On what seemed 2 seperate occasions, Senior tight-head Melissa Maiorino found the try-zone twice for 'Ville. But due to a questionable out-of-bounds call and being held up, the Millersville ladies were unable to punch it in. In the second half, WCU was versatile and strong, utilizing overloads in the back-line and punched in 3 additional tries. Final score: West Chester 24 - Millersville 0.The 'Ville Women sucked it up and took on the WCU women in a B-side match. Junior Danielle Latronica stormed through for a try with 10 minutes remaining in the first-half. Senior Jenn Lux added the conversion. The second half saw West Chester score a converted try of their own. Final score 7 - 7. During Fall break, 'Ville looks forward to a light week of practice and time to relax during a bye week before facing Princeton at home on October 23.

'Ville Women Defeat Ship After Change of Venue (10/1/04)

On what was originally scheduled as a Saturday morning match-up, the 'Ville Women piled into their cars at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon and travelled to Shippensburg University for a 7:00pm kick-off time under the lights. Playing conditions were hurrendous, floods were seen everywhere and ponds of water could be found in numerous spots on the Ship pitch. 'Ville travelled light (dressing only 17 players), and again had to make line-up adjustments due to absences. 'Ville knew that things would get messy and ugly, but this would be a day that the 'Ville side transformed. Not even 5 minutes into the match, Sophomore Full-back Sarah Steinhauer fielded a punt at her own 35 meter line and set-up a counter attack that would have made any ESPN highlight reel. With all of the backs getting back into position very nicely, Sarah had options galore. But she decided to keep it, sprinted around the Ship defense, and went 65 meters for an unconverted try. 5 - 0, 'Ville. 'Ville was in control the entire first-half; the pack dominated Ship in scrummages and rucks, and the 'Ville backs finally made a name for themselves and broke free. In the 21st minute of the first-half, Junior Hooker Jill Mininger took a slip pass and ran 20 meters for another unconverted try. 10 - 0, 'Ville. 'Ville continued to dominate in all aspects of play threatening to score on at least 3 other occasions in the first half. The Millersville forwards continued to shine. Front rowers (Senior Tight-Head Mel Maiorino and Freshman Loose-Head Maddie Santee) were key in the 'Ville scrummages. Junior Eightman Amanda Waltermyer took advantage of some pick-ups and drove Millersville down the pitch on numerous occasions. Senior Scrummy Tasha Strausser was agressive as usual, being a nightmare to the opposing scrum-half. 'Ville came out strong in the second-half and didn't let up. Both centers (Senior outside Heidi Pletcher and Junior inside MaryAnn Lux) took advantage of space consistently and pushed 'Ville forward. Both wingers (Junior Danielle Latronica and Sophomore Stacy Montgomery) supported nicely and made excellent gains especially when recycling the ball. However with some adjustments, the Ship defense was super-tight after deciding to concede the rucks to 'Ville and shut down their crashes. After what seemed about 15 minutes of questionable penalty calls, Ship snuck in a converted try with 8 minutes remaining in the match. Again with another 35 meters worth of penalties, Ship took a shot at posts from 35 meters away in an attempt to tie the match. However, the kick fell short, and the 'Ville women were able to maintain ball and run out the clock. Final score: Millersville 10 - Shippensburg 7. The final score was not indicative of 'Ville's performance. 'Ville clearly won the match in both posession and meters gained; as well as dominating the scrumdowns and rucks. Awesome job, 'Ville! The Millersville women look to progress and build on their 2 consecutive divisional victories as they go up against an always tough West Chester side next Saturday at Millersville.

'Ville Handles Kutztown in First Fall D1 Victory (9/25/2004)

On a very sunny but muggy Saturday morning, the Millersville women took to the pitch to face a very LARGE Kutztown University side. Millersville was again outnumbered in terms of players, 31 -19. However, the 'Ville women were ready to put up a perservering fight. After a really hard week of practice, the 'Ville women were very determined. But again the 'Ville women needed to make several substitutions due to absence and injury. The 'Ville pack was in shambles, with at least 5 players playing out of position. However, at the start of the match, Millersville used their crash-ball and dominated Kutztown from the beginning whistle. Millersville struck early as Senior Kate MacJarrett scored an unconverted try 10 minutes into the match. Millersville completely DOMINATED Kutztown the entire first half as the forwards defended brilliantly, and centers Heidi Pletcher and MaryAnn Lux shut down the Kutztown back-line. In the 22nd minute of the first-half, Senior scrum-half Tasha Strausser went weak-side to Senior Prop Melissa Maiorino who sprinted in 30 meters for an unconverted try. 'Ville never let up and continued to pound the ball into the Kutztown defense. With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Freshman flanker Laura Sekule drove 10 meters through the Kutztown forwards and touched down for a try. Kate MacJarrett nailed the conversion as Millersville took a 17 - 0 lead into the break. Kutztown re-grouped at the break and came back determined to win. However both the 'Ville and K'town defenses were excellent the entire second-half. K'town was able to punch in a converted try in the 18th minute, but both defenses held off each other for the remainder of the half. Final score: Millersville 17 - Kutztown University 7.In the B-Side match, Sophomore Heather Hooper made her debut at scrummy and engineered 'Ville to a 5 - 0 victory. Sophomore flanker Stacy Montgomery scored the only try for 'Ville.

'Ville Defeated in Nail-Biter in Fall Divisional Debut (9/18/2004)

On what started out as a very rainy and windy Saturday morning, the 'Ville women took to the pitch with their new crash-ball offense to prove a point against a 41 player strong Delaware side. Millersville, only dressing 20 players (and having to make several last minute substitutions due to illness and injury), stood up to the task early as both centers (Senior Heidi Pletcher and Junior MaryAnn Lux) consistently delivered jarring hits to the opposing mid-field. Senior Scrummy Tasha Strausser was relentless on defense as well, as she blanketed her opposing scrum-half throughout the match and prevented any decent "outs" to the opposing fly-half. However, Delaware was dominant in the rucks throughout the first half and found themselves in Millersville territory on several occasions. In the 19th minute of the match, and after Millersville was called for being off-side, the Delaware full-back nailed a penalty kick from 32 meters out to put Delaware ahead 3 - 0. In the 29th minute, controlling the ball consistently, Delaware punched in an unconverted try from 12 meters away after overloading the strong-side. Half-time score: Delaware 8 - Millersville 0. The 'Ville women re-grouped at the break and took the pitch determined to get back into the match. The second half was a completely different story as the 'Ville crash-ball began to develop and take form. Senior Prop Melissa Maiorino seemed to be everywhere on the pitch and completely dominated all of the Delaware forwards with her hard crashes and kicks into space. The 'Ville forwards (led by Sophomore Flanker Stacy Montgomery, Junior Eightman Amanda Waltermyer, Senior Lock Kate MacJarrett and Junior Hooker Jill Mininger), dominated Delaware for most of the second-half and put themselves in position to score on at least 4 occasions. Junior Full-Back Danielle Latronica counter-attacked nicely all half when the Delaware women tried to kick themselves out of the hole. In the 20th minute of the second-half, and after at least 4 crashes, Senior Prop Emily Davis touched down for an unconverted try from 6 meters out. 'Ville was persistent, and with about 10 minutes remaining, controlled ball at the Delaware 5 meter line. With at least two sure attempts to score, the Delaware defense stood very strong and held true. Despite Ville's strong efforts in the last 10 minutes of play, Delaware held on. Final score: Delaware 8 - Millersville 5. Despite the loss, the Millersville women remain positive and look to build in a full week of practice before going against Kutztown University at home on September 25.

'Ville Upgrades Coaching Staff (8/2004)

Beginning this Fall 2004 semester, the Ville rugby side will make major changes to the coaching staff. Thanks to the hard work of Tasha, Heidi and Mel, the Ville women will introduce new head coach Dennis Schlossman this Fall. With many years of both playing and coaching experience, Dennis hopes to take the Ville women to a new level of play. Most recently, Dennis helped coach the York College of Pennsylvania women to their first EPRU D2 championship in 2002. He also saw his YCP side finish second in D2 MARFUs in 2003 and compete in the USARFU D2 Elite 8 national championships. Kristin Sands, a former Allegheny select-side all-star, will also join Dennis on the coaching staff. Learning new phil