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Women Fight Hard for the UNYCRC Championship Match

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In a tightly contested match, the Purple Eagles squared off against a strong SUNY Geneseo side for the UNYCRC Championship. With an eye on the conference title, the match would kick off on a beautiful afternoon at the new Niagara University Rugby Field.

The first half was a back and forth battle with Faith Burtnick '28 crossing over the white wash first at the 8th minute of the game. SUNY Geneseo would not take long to answer with the a converted try of their own at the 20th minute. Nasia Priftis '28 and Burtnick would add two more tries to the tally with SUNY Geneseo answering right before the end of the first half, score Niagara 19 SUNY Geneseo 14.

Star performances were noted from Nasia Priftis 28' and Faith Burtnick 28', who led the scoring efforts for Niagara. Priftis 28', along with Jessica Yu 26', added crucial tries, but it was Burtnick 28', with her remarkable runs and double scores, who stood out particularly. She also succeeded in converting two tries, with Elizabeth Whipple 28' adding another conversion to the tally.

The second half of the match would see the Purple Eagles struggle for possession and forced to make close to 100 tackles in the half. Unfortunately SUNY Geneseo would end up putting in three tries in the 57th, 70th, and 75th minutes. However, the ladies would not roll over. On the ensuing kick-off, the Purple Eagles were able to create a turnover and put phases together. At the 78th minute, Jessica Yu '26 would score a much need try with Burtnick converting to put the Purple Eagles in striking distance. The women would take the ensuing kick-off and begin working the phases getting the ball inside the green zone, but unfortunately a handling error would end the possession as well as the match. SUNY Geneseo would walk away with the conference championship with a 26-29 victory over the Purple Eagles.

As heartbreaking as the loss is, there's a silver lining as the Purple Eagles season WILL continue! Getting a much needed weekend off, the Purple Eagles will be preparing to travel to Columbus, OH on Friday, November 15 to take part in the NCR DIII Round of 16. As details are confirmed, we will be sure to announce more details for our road to the NCR DIII National Championship as they come out.

With a current season record standing at 7-1, the Purple Eagles remain hopeful and strong contenders, learning from this game and aiming to refine their strategy and execution in forthcoming matches. The community continues to support the team enthusiastically, looking forward to witnessing their journey in the championship rounds ahead.

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