SCORING SUMMARY
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – A two-try effort by junior
Amber Wright and freshman
Calah Turpin helped the LIU Post women's rugby team come from behind to knock off Castleton University during its season opener at Robert Blitz Field, 34-26 Sunday.
Wright and Turpin combined for four of the final five scores for the Pioneers Sunday as the team improved to 1-0 on the season, earning its second win in program history in the process.
It was not an easy task for the Green and Gold as Castleton jumped out to an early 12-0 lead during the first six minutes of the match behind tries by Kailyn Duff and Mariah Jolly. Freshman
Bella Lubsey helped LIU Post right the ship moments later however, scoring her first career points coupled with a conversion by Wright to draw within five points, 12-7. Wright leveled the scoring with two minutes remaining in the opening half to bring LIU Post level with Castleton, but a failed conversion kept the score deadlocked.
The momentum was halted just before the half however, when Castleton's Mary Bovaconti broke through for a score with no time remaining on the clock and a conversion by Duff gave the Spartans a 19-12 lead at the intermission.
Nearly six minutes into the second stanza, the Pioneers pulled within two with Wright's second try of the afternoon to make it 19-17, but a failed conversion kept the deficit at two points with 14 minutes remaining. A try by Mikaela Phillips and a Duff conversion made it a two-score game once again midway through the second half before the Pioneer attack took over.
Turpin scored her first career points at the 8:34 mark and a Wright conversion made it a two-point match with seven minutes remaining. Fellow freshman
Sydney Long added her first score with three minutes to play to give the Green and Gold its first lead of the match at 29-26. Turpin eventually put the match out of reach when she put down a try with 1:23 to play, giving the Pioneers the 34-26 victory.
The Pioneers will have a week off before returning to action on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Molloy College for a matchup beginning at 12:00 p.m.