Women's Rugby | 2/7/2015 8:25:00 PM

SEATTLE, Wash (Feb. 8) – The Central Washington University women's rugby team opened its inaugural Divison-1 15's season with a bang defeating the University of Washington 96-0.

The Wildcats earn its first win of the season in stellar fashion. Mele Halahuni scored the first try of the game within the first minute and would visit the try zone again in the sixth minute making the score 10-0 in favor of CWU.

"It was a great way to open our season," Head coach Mel Denham said of her team's win. "I'm very proud of the new players who stepped up today. It was our goal to move the ball and we executed that well."

The Wildcat did a great job moving that ball in the first half. Angela Ve'eualu found the try zone twice as the team scored nine tries in the period and Katerina Long made seven conversions. Long also converted a three-point penalty kick in the half.

"UW never let up on their pressure," Denham said. "They gave us a great match."

The Wildcats would close the second half with six tries. Halahuni would cash in two more times in the second half and end her day with five total tries. Rosalind Pena was the second leading scorer for the Wildcats with three tries.

"Marie Beagle, a softball crossover athlete, had a great first game and stood out," Denham said of her new players. "Miesha Hunter also stepped up and showed great physicality."

The Wildcats will take the pitch again when they travel down to Eugene, Ore. Feb. 21., to battle the Ducks at the University of Oregon.

"I thought we played well today," Denham concluded. "We did a good job playing team rugby."
 
Tries
Mele Halahuni – 5
Rosalind Pena – 3
Angela Ve'euali – 2
Ashley Rolsma – 1
Cassidy Meyers – 1
Miesha Hunter – 1
Taylor Duncan – 1
Queen Fina Toetuu – 1

Conversions
Katerina Long – 9

Penalty Kicks
Katerina Long – 1