After a 4-0-2 start to the 2024 campaign, Quinnipiac rugby dropped three straight games in the latter part of the season to finish the year 4-3-2. With a new season comes changes for head coach Becky Carlson, as she will be missing a few key players from previous years.
Notable departures:
Ana Van Dyk, a lock, was one of the Bobcats’ central pieces last season. She consistently won lineouts, chased down kicks and anchored the scrum for Quinnipiac. A nominee for the MaryAnn Sorensen Award and a first-team All-NIRA selection, Van Dyk’s leadership and on-field presence will be difficult to replace.
Kat Storey had been a stalwart for the Bobcats for the past five seasons. The fullback had been vital for the Bobcats on the wing, often breaking through alongside then first-year Layla Cox. Storey was just as critical on defense, being the team’s last line of defense before the try zone. She earned second-team All-NIRA honors in 2024.
In total, 13 players from last year’s roster departed Hamden, leaving the Bobcats to retool with 11 newcomers on the squad.
New Year, New Faces
The incoming group includes nine first-years and two transfers: Macey Dunn and Reagan Perez, both from Central Washington University, which discontinued its program at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
Quinnipiac’s 59-0 loss to Dartmouth did not get the Bobcats off to a great start, but Dartmouth was last season’s national runner-up. With nearly half the roster new to the program, with a lot of new faces, the result should be viewed with perspective.
What’s Ahead
The Bobcats face another challenge in Brown before starting the main stretch of their 2025 schedule. Later in the season, they will meet familiar opponents, Navy and Sacred Heart, but will avoid reigning national champion Harvard and perennial contender Army, which broke Quinnipiac’s unbeaten streak last season. Quinnipiac will face Lindenwood, La Salle and Queens (NC) for the first time in the program’s history.
Cox, Dunn and the rest of the team look to get back into the win column, as the Bobcats’ home opener is set for Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m.
Notable departures:
Ana Van Dyk, a lock, was one of the Bobcats’ central pieces last season. She consistently won lineouts, chased down kicks and anchored the scrum for Quinnipiac. A nominee for the MaryAnn Sorensen Award and a first-team All-NIRA selection, Van Dyk’s leadership and on-field presence will be difficult to replace.
Kat Storey had been a stalwart for the Bobcats for the past five seasons. The fullback had been vital for the Bobcats on the wing, often breaking through alongside then first-year Layla Cox. Storey was just as critical on defense, being the team’s last line of defense before the try zone. She earned second-team All-NIRA honors in 2024.
In total, 13 players from last year’s roster departed Hamden, leaving the Bobcats to retool with 11 newcomers on the squad.
New Year, New Faces
The incoming group includes nine first-years and two transfers: Macey Dunn and Reagan Perez, both from Central Washington University, which discontinued its program at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
Quinnipiac’s 59-0 loss to Dartmouth did not get the Bobcats off to a great start, but Dartmouth was last season’s national runner-up. With nearly half the roster new to the program, with a lot of new faces, the result should be viewed with perspective.
What’s Ahead
The Bobcats face another challenge in Brown before starting the main stretch of their 2025 schedule. Later in the season, they will meet familiar opponents, Navy and Sacred Heart, but will avoid reigning national champion Harvard and perennial contender Army, which broke Quinnipiac’s unbeaten streak last season. Quinnipiac will face Lindenwood, La Salle and Queens (NC) for the first time in the program’s history.
Cox, Dunn and the rest of the team look to get back into the win column, as the Bobcats’ home opener is set for Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m.
