Women’s Rugby at ASU is officially a playoff team! After a long hiatus since their last game in mid-February, the women of this team were able to pull away with a win last Saturday in Tucson. Though Women’s Rugby at ASU has now secured their spot in the playoffs after defeating their Arizona rivals at University of Arizona, there is still much work to be done in order to keep this team in the mix moving forward.
Women’s Rugby at ASU had a rough start to the game last weekend and it took an entire half before they could get into a groove and start racking up points. A combination of lack of communication, individualistic mindsets, and overall frustration is what ultimately held this team back in the first half. At the end of the first 40 minutes, the score was tied at 0-0 and the team was struggling to keep morale and spirits up. However, forever optimistic senior, Mari Bray, reminded the team of why they travelled down to Tucson: to win and to keep their season alive! The girls went into the second half after belting out their traditional team chant and wiped the slate clean with a new attitude.
Women’s Rugby at ASU started to turn it on by utilizing their biggest strength: working together. After a messy first half among the forwards, they were able to clean up the offense and take charge on the field the way they are most certainly capable of. As for the back line, they really stood out in the second half, as they used their speed and stamina to break through Arizona Women’s Rugby’s defense. While they struggled to see the field in the first half, they came out for the last 40 minutes with the desire to share the ball. An excellent example of the selflessness that the team exhibited was with their first try in the second half. Captain, Steph Davies, pushed through the defensive line on the way to the try zone but spotted senior, Jensen Gomez, on her right side and popped the ball to her for an easy 5 points.
Another stand out player for this game was Naomi Stietzel, who has proven to have a serious boot when it comes to conversion points. It is a sight to see when she lines up for a kick and knocks one down that looks to be impossible. The final score was a whopping 43-0, in favor of Women's Rugby at ASU. It is no secret that Women’s Rugby at ASU has a massive array of athletic ability dispersed across their roster, but the question remains on whether that will be enough to keep them going now that playoffs are upon us.
Women’s Rugby at ASU will face off against GCU Women’s Rugby next weekend for the first round of the playoffs. This game holds much weight for Women’s Rugby at ASU, as their only loss in the regular season was handed to them by the women of GCU. With only 2 practices left before the showdown, there is a lot on the line for both of these teams. This penultimate game will be held at GCU’s home field, Saturday, April 8th, at 6 p.m. It would be a tragedy to miss such a wonderful opportunity to support Women’s Rugby at ASU so come out ready for an exciting evening of college rugby!
Photographed by Susan Bray