Women’s Rugby Shines On National Stage

HOUSTON, Texas – Five members of the Endicott women's rugby program represented the College well at the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Women's All-Star 7's National Cup last weekend.

Student-athletes Elektra Cheney (Collinsville, Conn.), Melissa Drexler (Duxbury, Mass.), Katelyn Gemmell (Andover, Mass.), Caitlin Kane (Shrewsbury, Mass.), and Tess Merrill (Greenwich, N.Y.) played pivotal roles in the Colonial Coast Rugby Conference (CCRC) All-Stars squad finishing fourth overall in the tournament under the guidance of Gulls' head coach Carly Baker.

The two-day tournament featured 200 of the best student-athletes in collegiate rugby. All participants were selected based on regional tryout performances and coach nominations.

Cheney highlighted Endicott in the tournament by earning the CCRC All-Star Team's Unsung Hero Award. Cheney scored four tries on the weekend and also was a huge asset as a scrumhalf and sweeper on the defensive end.

Additionally, Cheney scored two of her four tries against the Upstate New York All-Star Team, which pushed the CCRC squad into the championship bracket on Sunday.

The Gulls also saw Drexler and Gemmell score two tries each, while Kane and Merrill both had one, respectively.

Both of Drexler's tries were instrumental to the CCRC All-Star Team's comeback victory in their third match of the day on day one.

Coming off the bench in the contest, Drexler found the try zone twice, with her last one coming with 20 seconds left to play, to lift CCRC over Great Waters.

The Great Waters All-Star Team ended up placing second in the tournament.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Endicott, who was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country throughout the fall season, finished its 2021 season with a 6-2 overall record en route to capturing the CCRC Championship.

From there, the Gulls advanced to the NCR Northeast Regional Championship, but, ultimately fell to No. 6 nationally ranked SUNY Cortland, 34-10, in the title game.

Endicott's spring season will begin in March. 

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(Photo Credit - Endicott women's rugby)