The Eastern rugby team improved its record to 6-0 for the third time in the last four years.

The Panthers notched their second NCAA Division-I win of the season as they beat up on the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 33-5.

The Panthers and the Bobcats met on the field over the weekend and played a competitive game.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle that resulted in a number of botched scoring opportunities for both teams.

The Panthers had several miscues that halted their scoring opportunities, but they managed to capitalize on two scoring drives to take the 12-0 lead at the break.

Junior center Lauren Doyle got the Panther offense going in the 28th minute when she raced 70 yards downfield to grab the early lead for the Panthers.

The scoring drive was assisted by senior captain Narissa Ramirez.

“Lauren Doyle had a very good first half and she made some long runs and was a key figure in the win,” Head Coach Frank Graziano said.

Eastern took control of the game in the second half, and those botched scoring opportunities that plagued the Panthers in the first half began to turn into points in the second half.

The Panthers found their offensive groove and rattled off 21 points in the second half of play in route to the 33-5 win.

Although Quinnipiac found the end zone for the first time against the Panthers, Graziano said he was pleased with the effort and the performance his team showed over the weekend.

“It was a good game, there was a great crowd there and we all played very well,” Graziano said.

Around the NCAA

In other rugby action, the Bowdoin Polar Bears recorded a perfect regular season with a 73-0 win over Amherst College. The Polar Bears will enter the playoffs with a perfect 8-0 record.

The West Chester Golden Rams were not in action over the weekend but still sit at a perfect 3-0 on the season.

The Norwich Cadets were in action over the weekend and beat up on the Vermont Catamounts, 87-5. The Cadets are 10-1 heading into their post-season matchup against Colby University.

The Quinnipiac Bobcats now sit at 2-4 following the loss to the Panthers.

The Panthers will be back in action this weekend when they return to Lakeside Field to host the Northern Iowa Panthers on Sunday. Kick off is slated for 1 p.m.

Jordan Pottorff can be reached at 581-7942 or jbpottoff@eiu.edu.