University Park, PA – The Aquinas College women's rugby team faced a challenging matchup against Penn State, falling 46-0. Despite the result, the Saints continued to battle throughout the contest, showing determination and flashes of strong attacking play. Aquinas will look to learn from the experience and build on the positives as the team continues to develop.
First Half
Aquinas worked to establish its attack against Penn State, moving the ball effectively across the field and creating opportunities to advance into the attacking 22-meter area. The Saints' scrum proved to be a bright spot, as Aquinas won most of its scrums and earned penalties against Penn State.
The Saints also showed improvement in their passing and handling, recording just two knock-ons throughout the match. However, despite spending extended stretches in Penn State's territory, Aquinas struggled to capitalize on its opportunities. Turnovers and missed chances to take advantage of penalties prevented the Saints from converting their attacking pressure into points.
Second Half
The Saints continued to search for an offensive breakthrough after halftime but struggled to finish their attacking possessions. While the team's ball movement across the field was effective, Aquinas needed to apply more pressure and commit to stronger, more direct runs to challenge the Penn State defense.
Losing the team's No. 9 during the match also hurt the connection between the forwards and backs, making it more difficult to transition smoothly into attacking opportunities.
Jayana Williams stood out with her kicking and defensive work, while Easton Wright contributed strong runs with the ball. Reegan Miller also made an impact with her kick receptions and chase-down tackles.
Despite the Saints' extended time in the attacking zone, Penn State capitalized on its opportunities, and Aquinas was unable to get on the scoreboard, falling 46-0.
Coaches Comments
Head Coach Dani Harris emphasized the importance of learning from the difficult result and using the experience to strengthen the team's mindset moving forward.
"Today's match was a hard one for us. We were missing some key players in the game that bring the team spirit and sisterhood that the girls have. It was a learning moment on how to work through simple errors and what it takes to pull ourselves out of the negatives that can happen in a game. Unfortunately, we did not succeed at it as fast as we needed. But, it is these games where we grow, we find that fire and drive to not feel the way they did after the game. I truly believe that this team has something special and I know games like this are key to working through to make us great in the next year."
Up Next
The Saints will return to the field on November 4 for a scrimmage against the University of Michigan. Aquinas will look to apply the lessons learned against Penn State, build on its strengths and continue developing its team chemistry as it prepares for future competition.
