Undefeated and top-ranked Wheeling meets Oklahoma juggernaut Southern Nazarene in the Women’s Division I national championship game Saturday at SaberCats Stadium in Houston, TX. Wheeling is seeking its first national title in its first year as a program, while SNU is making its third foray into the playoffs in its first three seasons of existence.
The Cardinals are a perfect 11-0 and have been dominant all fall, with their closest contests coming at Regionals in Obetz, OH, where they beat Virginia by four and Northeastern by 16. The Crimson Storm are 9-2, having dropped a pair of friendlies to blueblood programs before outscoring Purdue and Northern Iowa by a combined 117-24 to reach Houston.
Both teams are evenly matched, with stars in the backline and dynamic athletes up front.
“When we watch film, we feel like they're a lot like us,” said SNU head coach Aric Gilliland. “We’re similar teams.”
SNU’s roster is headlined by two-time All-American outside center Telesi Uhatafe, whose mixture of pace, power and agility makes her one of the best players in the country.
Wheeling is led by decorated flyhalf Bella Gullata, a transfer from Lander like much of Wheeling’s roster, as head coach Ken Pape used to coach the Bearcats. Gullatta got through Regionals unscathed, but suffered a knee injury boarding the team bus and is questionable for Saturday.
“Freak accident, which is a shame, because I think she might be one of the best flyhalves in the league,” said Pape. “She has to be leading the world in drop goal attempts and makes. 10-for-12 on the season. The kid’s incredible, it's just whether or not she can go.”
Taking reps at flyhalf for Wheeling is standout center Alexis Dallas, another former Bearcat, who also lines up at No. 8 from time to time. “Alexis Dallas is like the hidden gem of the group,” said Pape. “Her defense is great. She can score from anywhere on the field. She’s got a smooth pass.”
SNU’s backline has been no stranger to change this season, either. Two pregnancies and a semester of student-teaching created opportunities for new players in the preseason, and flyhalf Rylee Erickson tearing her ACL against Lindenwood forced change midway through the fall.
“We’ve got two babies here, and two babies on the way. So I’m a rugby grandpa four times over. It’s what we talk about when we recruit kids. What we do is a lot more than rugby. This is part of the journey for us,” said SNU coach Aric Gilliland.
“We’ve had so much happen in our program. I talk it all up, but there’s been some adversity here, and it’d be nice to set it all aside and win a championship.”
Wheeling and Southern Nazarene kickoff at 6 p.m. CT Saturday, and the final can be streamed live with on The Rugby Network+.
