CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Lander women's rugby team made program history with a 38-31 victory over St. Bonaventure, securing its first regional appearance since moving to National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division I.

Competing in its first season at the Division I level, Lander built a commanding 31-5 halftime lead before holding off a second-half comeback from St. Bonaventure to secure the victory and a postseason berth.

The Bearcats wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Lily Venegas broke free for a 78-meter try just 30 seconds into the match. Gwen Orr followed with a successful conversion to give Lander an early advantage.

Lander continued to apply defensive pressure as Rachel Hammelman's aggressive line speed forced a St. Bonaventure handling error. Hammelman recovered the loose ball and capitalized on the opportunity with a try, followed by another successful conversion from Orr.

Scrum half Sydney Molaski added to the Bearcats' lead, finding an opening in the defense and breaking through multiple defenders for a try. Orr converted the attempt to extend Lander's advantage.

The Bearcats continued their first-half momentum when Emma Cook intercepted a St. Bonaventure pass and broke away for a try between the posts. Orr added another successful conversion.

Molaski closed out the first-half scoring for Lander with her second try of the match, navigating through multiple defenders to cross the try line just before halftime and send the Bearcats into the break with a 31-5 lead.

St. Bonaventure responded in the second half, cutting into Lander's advantage as the Bearcats faced additional challenges following two yellow cards that temporarily left them with 12 players on the pitch.

Despite the disadvantage, Lander continued to create scoring opportunities. Freshman Patience Cumbie recognized an opening in the defense and capitalized with a try to help the Bearcats maintain their lead.

Lander held off St. Bonaventure's second-half rally to secure the 38-31 victory and earn its first NCR Division I regional appearance.

"I couldn't be prouder of this group," head coach MaKayla Richesin said. "Coming off a 19-7 season last year, along with advancing to Division I, expectations are high, and opening this season with a loss to Penn was a tough moment for both the girls and I. But this team never let that define us. Instead, they used it as fuel to grow, regroup, and prove what Lander women's rugby is all about.

"Our girls are going to fight, push one another, and continue striving to be the best teammates they can be. Today, our defense put us on the front foot. The relentless line speed, double tackles, and positive tackles created opportunities for us to capitalize, and when we paired that defensive pressure with our strong, crisp attack, we showed what this team is capable of.

"It was a great day to be a Bearcat. I'm incredibly proud of the way these girls continue to show up for one another, and I'm excited to see what we can accomplish together. This group has worked hard to get here, and we're looking forward to the challenge ahead."

With the victory, Lander secured the No. 2 position in the NCR Division I East Region and earned a spot in the regional tournament, scheduled for Nov. 14-15.

The Bearcats return to action Friday at Coastal Carolina in a matchup scheduled to be streamed on WSN. Lander will then turn its attention to the NCR Division I Regionals on Nov. 14-15.