September 28 - Week 4 offers Friday Night Rugby’s first-ever doubleheader, as the University of Miami (Ohio) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania men kickoff at 5 p.m. EST at Founders Field in Pittsburgh, followed by the Pitt and Kent State women at 7 p.m. Both matches are Allegheny Conference bouts – the women’s Division I and the men’s Division II.

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Two-time defending 7s national champion IUP (3-1) enters the contest ranked No. 1 in the country. The Crimson Hawks, led by senior All-American scrumhalf R.J. Beach, are on a mission to add more hardware to the trophy case this fall, motivated by a 47-16 loss to Principia in last year’s 15s national championship game. Dom Holmes has played four different positions in the backline so far this season and will be a factor no matter where he lines up.

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IUP opened the season with three-straight blowout wins over Pitt, Robert Morris and West Chester before dropping the only loss of the season to Division I Rio Grande, 33-19. Unranked Miami comes in 2-0, having beaten Eastern Kentucky 67-0 in week 1 before Western Kentucky forfeited in Week 2. 

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This is Miami’s first season in the league, as the Reds, WKU, EKU and Middle Tennessee State have folded the old Mid-East Conference into the Allegheny, making up the South Division. The winner of that group will face the North champion for the conference title Nov. 4, of which Friday could be a preview. 

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Returning to the Miami sideline this season is long-time head coach Bill Griffes, and returning on the pitch is a trio of Great Lakes Thunderbirds from January’s All-Star championship, led by athletic prop Zach Fidishun. 

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“I’m expecting them to come out and have some skilled forwards,” said IUP coach Seth Erwin. “What we do is focus on the defensive end. We’re very happy to go into halftime up 5 or 12-0. We have one of the fittest teams in Division II. Having a couple of personal trainers on the team helps. And that really shows in our defense.”   

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The primetime game features ninth-ranked Kent State and unranked Pitt. The Golden Flashes enter the primetime contest 2-0 following a 22-19 win over Cincinnati and an 86-19 defeat of Colgate to open the season. Kent State is led by a trio of returning All-Conference performers in prop Delaney Mavromihalis, outside center Theresa Lupinacci and scrumhalf Ryan Rhinehart. 

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The Panthers come into the contest 0-1, having opened the season with a lopsided loss to Cornell. But Pitt played Kent State close last fall, and after being canceled on last week, is eager to get back on the pitch. “I think it will be a tough match, but a lot of fun,” said Pitt president Emily Record. “We’re excited to take them on.”

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Leading the Panthers from the scrumhalf position is captain Grace McCullough, who is an exceptional communicator and tackler. So are the anchors of the Pitt pack, prop Nicole Bufano and No. 8 Morgan Graybill.

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