On November 13, 2021, the Mary Washington Women's Rugby team travelled to the University of Maryland. This was the first time in over two years that UMW Women's Rugby travelled for a rugby match. The excitement was high, after a big win and 3 cancelled rugby matches.
The weather prior to kick-off was poor - 40-degree temperatures with sidewise rain. On the kickoff, Maryland was able to field the ball and move down the pitch. They dominated possession during the rain, but made a crucial mistake, resulting in a penalty kick for Mary Washington. Catching Maryland off guard, Senior Kayla Zegada took a quick tap and was able to score a try just 5 minutes into the match. The weather conditions made the footing difficult and the conversion was missed. For the next 25 minutes, the match went back and forth, with both teams capitalizing on the other's mistakes. The weather made the breakdowns sloppy and neither team could gain an advantage. As the rain broke and the temperatures warmed, both sides became comfortable with play. But ultimately, it was Mary Washington who were able to put the next try on the board. With 30 minutes gone in the first half, UMW took the lead, 10-0, with a try by Madison McCullum. After gaining possession on the ensuing kickoff, Maryland was able to move the ball downfield and score, cutting UMW's advantage to 10-5. Mary Washington quickly stepped up their counterattack. With no time remaining in the first half, UMW's Sidney Hughes was able to put a try on the board, bringing to the score to 15-5.
The second half of the match saw a completely different Maryland side. They picked up their tempo on attack and scored in the opening minute. Reducing UMW's lead to just 15-12, Maryland again increased their work rate. In the next 14 minutes, Maryland would go on to score 4 more tries. Now the score stood at 36-15, well in Maryland's favor. Just 8 minutes later, Maryland again scored, making it 41-15. Maryland's attack slowed and their defense relaxed. Mary Washington took advantage of Maryland's coasting and put in two tries. Scoring for UMW were Sidney Hughes and Chloe Jackson. With just two minutes remaining, Maryland was up 41-25. Maryland returned to their form from earlier in the second half and took the kickoff downfield. With no time remaining in the match, Maryland scored the final try of the match. The final score was 46-25.
Unfortunately, this was the final match of the season for UMW. With 5 matches postponed or cancelled, it was a difficult semester, still suffering from the fallout of COVID.
The competitive season for the Capital Conference has been moved to the spring. The team is looking forward to league matches against Virginia Commonwealth University, the College of William & Mary, Longwood University, and George Mason University.