American International College Women's Rugby Team Wins Third Place in National Championship

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., May 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A young but confident American International College (AIC) Varsity Women's Rugby team shook off an opening loss in the USA Rugby Division I College National Championship and beat West Chester University to claim third place. The tournament was held at Steuber Rugby Stadium at Stanford University. The victory capped a 15-5 winning season for the team, which includes 12 freshmen.

"We are so proud of the achievements of our Women's Rugby Team," stated Dr. Vincent Maniaci, president of AIC. "They truly are the embodiment of 'post tenebras lux' or 'after darkness, light' which is the motto inscribed on AIC's college seal. The road to the national championship required them to meet challenge after challenge, shake off disappointment at times, and work as a team to achieve this historic accomplishment for our college."

West Chester—like Stanford University, which handed the AIC squad their opening loss in the Final Four— did not make things easy for the Yellow Jackets. Down 14-10 at halftime, AIC regrouped and took the lead in the second half with the help of Jessica Davis' (Rescue, CA) hat trick. The team held on to the lead, eventually winning 37-31.

The AIC Yellow Jackets compete in a tough Northeast Conference that includes teams from Army, Boston College, Boston University, and Harvard University. After winning their conference to get to the Final Four, AIC rugby beat Indiana University and the University of North Carolina, both winners of their respective divisions.

The AIC Women's Rugby Team offers admissions assistance, scholarships, and advising far beyond what most teams can do and is one of the few schools to offer a high performance rugby program paired with over 100 years of academic history.

About: Founded in 1885, American International College is a private, coeducational, four-year and masters institution located in the geographic center of Springfield, Massachusetts.

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SOURCE American International College