On Saturday October 7, the UMW women's rugby team hosted William & Mary. Those in attendance unknowingly saw the strangest win ever for Mary Washington.
Rain fell several hours prior to the match, ending just before the 11:00 am kickoff. The field conditions made it difficult for both teams to generate a strong offensive attack. Several passes were dropped due to the moisture. As the possession went back and forth for both teams, William & Mary spent most of their time on the Mary Washington half of the pitch. Seventeen minutes into the match William & Mary connected wide off of a lineout and scored the first try, going up 5-0. As the conditions began to dry during the next 20 minutes, Mary Washington took over possession, spending most of their time on the William & Mary half, sometimes coming within meters of scoring. However, after a kick by William & Mary and an error by Mary Washington, William & Mary was awarded a penalty kick 22 meters in front of the UMW goal. William & Mary took the kick, flags went up, the whistle was blown, and the half ended. The scoreboard showed 8-0, in William & Mary's favor.
In the second half, UMW came out stronger on defense. Applying more pressure to the William & Mary backs, UMW was able to create more turnovers and move the ball down field. After multiple phases of play in the W&M 22-meter line, Carrie Garvey ('24) was able to drive through the W&M defense, punching in a try for Mary Washington 10 minutes into the half. The conversion was unsuccessful, and the scoreboard read 8-5, in favor of William & Mary. For the next 7 minutes, UMW dominated possession. The one opportunity that W&M had resulted in a turnover ten meters in front of the UMW goal. The turnover produced a 90-meter return as Garvey connected to Theresa Oetgen ('27) for Mary Washington's second try of the match.
The conversion was good, and the score was now 12-8 for UMW. William & Mary's intensity increased after the UMW score. For the next 15 minutes, William & Mary was able to apply pressure in front the of the UMW goal. For the second time in the match W&M was able to capitalize off a lineout, swing the ball wide, and score a try. The scoreboard now read 13-12, back in William & Mary's favor. In the final 7 minutes, while UMW fought hard, they were unable to score again before the final whistle.
That evening, as the referee was reviewing the match report, it came to light that the penalty kick attempted by William & Mary was NOT converted. The brief indications from the touch judges led everyone-including fans, players, coaches, and the scoreboard operator-to believe the kick was successful. Following the match, the referee wrote:
After further review, the incorrect score on the board was due to an error where the penalty goal kicked by W&M was counted when it was not made. This occurred right before the half. I indicated the kick was not made, and then blew my whistle for the half, which I believe confused some folks.
The referee's decision was validated with video footage from the match.
Therefore, unknown to those in attendance at the conclusion of the match, the final score was Mary Washington 12 - William & Mary 10.
On Saturday Oct 21, UMW will travel to the University of Maryland. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 am.
