CALEDONIA, Mich. - Davenport played against the Naval Academy on their home turf on October 15th. The final score after the 80 minutes was 44-5 resulting in the fourth win of their 15's season and leaving the Lady Panthers 4-0. Previously the Panthers had lost to Navy in the 15's national championship in 2021 by eight points, and won against Navy in the championship 7's match in 2022 by a penalty try in the last 30 seconds of the game.
Navy has proved that they are a strong team in the past, and Davenport knew that this was a serious challenge on their home field. This women's rugby team has never lost a conference game on their home field, and this game was certainly not going to be the first one. Although nerves were high, Ellis McKay scored her first try at Davenport in the first couple minutes of the game. The team kept their composure and continued to play their game. In the second part of the first half of the game, the Panthers were on defense for 17 minutes solid, but would not allow Navy to score in their try zone. Three tries were held up during this time, resulting in Navy still not having any points on the board. By the second half the team had smiles on their faces as they dug deep and continued to exploit Navy's mistakes and maintain possession. Aubrey Crist and Ashley Cowdrey's chemistry set up a lot of opportunities for themselves and others to gain meters on the field, along with their abilities to intercept Navy's passes to get them on the back of their feet. This game was one for the books as they were finally able to show Navy who they truly are and how they can play rugby to the highest of standards. Although there is more to work on, the Panthers are embracing the opportunities they are given and hoping to continue their undefeated streak.
Scoring Breakdown for Davenport v. Navy
Lily O'Connor - 1 try (5 points)
Ashley Cowdrey - 2 tries (10 points)
Jasmine Hernandez - 1 try (5 points)
Ellis McKay - 1 try (5 points)
Mariah Pruitt - 1 try (5 points)
Addy Ochoa - 1 try (5 points)
Aubrey Crist - 1 try and 2 conversions (9 points)
Next week our Davenport Women's Rugby team takes on Adrian on Saturday, October 22nd on the DU Turf Field. Kickoff will be at 5:00 PM.
Story by: Taylor Badal
