The Panthers may not have to play shorthanded for the first time in four weeks because of two new walk-ons that might start on Friday.

Head coach Frank Graziano said he was pleased about three weeks ago when he had two women want to join the team.

Sophomore Stacy Buck might fill the loose head prop position, so Amanda Fromm can go back to playing in the backs. And Freshman Emily Harrison will try to play the lock position, so Chase Cain can return to play flanker.

“They are still learning, but they are doing well, and it will be a benefit to everyone if we don’t have to play down,” junior lock Victoria Rosales said. “It is always better to have 15 (players), and even if they are lost sometimes in the game, those extra bodies are going to help a lot with tackles and matching up to the other team.”

Graziano said Buck and Harrison both came in for a little in the Ohio State match, but this week he might be looking for them to start with freshman No. 8 Diana Zultowski and freshman prop Anne Schnura possibly being out on Friday.

“We are going to have to rely on them a little more,” Graziano said. “We are going to put them out there and see how they do. It is one thing to go in when you’re winning by 50 or 60 to nothing and going in and play for ten minutes, now they are going to have to play the whole game.”

Winning is good but performance was not great

Because Oregon was matching Eastern point for point, sophomore lock Chase Cain said she and a few others actually had to ask an official the final score.

“At the end of the game, I wasn’t even sure, looking at everyone’s faces, if we won or lost,” Cain said. “Because it was so close and it was like, we scored, they scored, we get a kick, they got a kick. I was so confused. I was just hoping that we came out on top.”

The Panthers did manage to win 24-15 against Oregon this weekend, but Graziano said they did not play with as much effort as he would have liked.

“We didn’t put them away, and because they were able to keep the score close that gave them momentum and hurt us a little,” Graziano said.

Graziano said they were making a lot of mistakes, like throwing the ball away, poor tackling and being out of position.

“Sometimes that’s all you have to do is get those key scores,” Graziano said. “A win is a win, but we need to make less mistakes and do things right too.”

Tired from travel

Graziano said that jet lag and fatigue from all the bus and plane rides could have had an effect on their performance.

The Panthers spent the rest of the weekend in Oregon camping and hiking. Freshman flanker Tiffany Kennedy said even though it was exhausting, it was well worth it.

“We squashed a whole lot of living in three to four days,” Graziano said. “Most, if not all, of the kids have never been to that part of the county before and it was really a great experience for everyone.”

He said that that they are going to have to get over being tired and catch up on things they missed in preparation for Purdue this Friday.

“They all have a little bit of catching up to do, but that is the life of a student athlete,” Graziano said. “They will get back on track with their sleep when they can, and their books when they can, and before you know it, it’s Friday and we have to go play again.”

Stephanie Militello, sophmore flanker, sprints forward to avoid a Ohio State player Oct. 6 at Lakeside Field.

(more…)