West Chester got its second conference win of the season, getting a little more push-back from James Madison than Temple, but still recording a 67-5 victory.

Seven different Golden Rams scored tries, with Arielle Gantt leading the way with three. Fullback Nicole Benedetti added two tries to her tally, and she leads the squad with seven this season. The All American is only eight tries short of the school record (Cheryl Johnson [‘12], 55).

Sophomore wing Sophia Schwab is right behind Benedetti in terms of season tries, and her two scores pushed her total to five. Maria Schweizerhof, Erin Gallagher, Jeannie Connolly and Erin Brosius all added a try apiece, while flyhalf Katie Walston, who leads the team with 47 points this season, converted six of those scores.

West Chester faces DII powerhouse Kutztown in a friendly this weekend, and during a season where lower-division teams have been playing up, the game will likely be the team’s most challenging thus far. The Golden Rams will follow with its final two conference matches against Pittsburgh and Maryland, and seal the fall season in what should be WCU’s biggest test: Quinnipiac on Nov. 8.

In other Mason Dixon news, North Carolina took its first steps onto the playing field last weekend. The Tarheels lost convincingly to East Carolina, 52-15, and edged DII Appalachian State 34-27. But don’t form any opinions on UNC, last year’s conference finalist, just yet. North Carolina takes its time through the fall and will often give up losses deep into the friendly season. Even though weather can choke up the team’s progress in the spring, that’s when the Tarheels turn it on.

But that pattern doesn’t dilute the achievements of UNC’s opponents, and both ECU and Appalachian State will be rewarded in the rankings. One team that is eager to test itself against the Tarheels is Life University, which went varsity this season. After banking some solid wins this fall, the Running Eagles are eager to take on the traditional South leader on Nov. 15.

Finally, Virginia ran away with a 78-5 win over Temple in a cross-divisional friendly.