Undefeated and top-ranked Wheeling meets Oklahoma juggernaut Southern Nazarene in the Women’s Division I national championship game Saturday at SaberCats Stadium in Houston, TX. Wheeling is seeking its first national title in its first year as a program, while SNU is making its third foray into the playoffs in its first three seasons of existence. 

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The Cardinals are a perfect 11-0 and have been dominant all fall, with their closest contests coming at Regionals in Obetz, OH, where they beat Virginia by four and Northeastern by 16. The Crimson Storm are 9-2, having dropped a pair of friendlies to blueblood programs before outscoring Purdue and Northern Iowa by a combined 117-24 to reach Houston. 

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Both teams are evenly matched, with stars in the backline and dynamic athletes up front.

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“When we watch film, we feel like they're a lot like us,” said SNU head coach Aric Gilliland. “We’re similar teams.”

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SNU’s roster is headlined by two-time All-American outside center Telesi Uhatafe, whose mixture of pace, power and agility makes her one of the best players in the country. 

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Wheeling is led by decorated flyhalf Bella Gullata, a transfer from Lander like much of Wheeling’s roster, as head coach Ken Pape used to coach the Bearcats. Gullatta got through Regionals unscathed, but suffered a knee injury boarding the team bus and is questionable for Saturday. 

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“Freak accident, which is a shame, because I think she might be one of the best flyhalves in the league,” said Pape. “She has to be leading the world in drop goal attempts and makes. 10-for-12 on the season. The kid’s incredible, it's just whether or not she can go.”

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Taking reps at flyhalf for Wheeling is standout center Alexis Dallas, another former Bearcat, who also lines up at No. 8 from time to time. “Alexis Dallas is like the hidden gem of the group,” said Pape. “Her defense is great. She can score from anywhere on the field. She’s got a smooth pass.”  

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SNU’s backline has been no stranger to change this season, either. Two pregnancies and a semester of student-teaching created opportunities for new players in the preseason, and flyhalf Rylee Erickson tearing her ACL against Lindenwood forced change midway through the fall.   

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“We’ve got two babies here, and two babies on the way. So I’m a rugby grandpa four times over. It’s what we talk about when we recruit kids. What we do is a lot more than rugby. This is part of the journey for us,” said SNU coach Aric Gilliland.

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“We’ve had so much happen in our program. I talk it all up, but there’s been some adversity here, and it’d be nice to set it all aside and win a championship.” 

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Wheeling and Southern Nazarene kickoff at 6 p.m. CT Saturday, and the final can be streamed live with on The Rugby Network+.