BILLINGS, Mont (Apr. 13) – The Central Washington University women's rugby team (4-0) traveled to Montana for the Bobcat 7's. The Wildcats won all four games on the day and by good margins.
"Going 4-0 in our first tournament was a positive start to our 7's season," CWU Head Coach Trevor Richards said. "We definitely weren't perfect but with only two weeks of prep, I'm happy with what we showed. Defensively we have some structural work to do but we showed our physicality at the point of contact. On attack we moved the ball well although we were a little flat at times. We also got to try out some different combinations and the team had the added gut check of altitude; all of it important for our run at nationals. Overall I'm pleased; Montana State are great hosts, it was a good tournament, and their brand new facility was a wonderful surface to play on."
Game one, the scoring started with a try in the second minute from Spencer Boldt. The junior raced down the field on the kick and chase and gave the Wildcats an early 5-0 lead. Central didn't look back and continued to dominate the game.
In the sixth minute, a USU scrum penalty lead to a quick tap from Boldt and Sui A'au capitalized running through the gap for her first try of the game and then knocked through her own conversion to give the Wildcats a 12-0 lead. Central closed out the half after Michel Navarro got her first try of the game to make it 17-0 heading into the half.
Central got tries from Maryjane Pasioles, and Sui A'au in the second half and took game one on the day by score of 32-0.
A'au got her third try on the day in the first minute of the second game giving Central an early 5-0 lead. Pasioles then got her second try of the day in the fifth minute to make it a 10-0 lead. Leah Ingold got in on the scoring in the sixth minute extending the Wildcat lead to 17 after she knocked through her own conversion.
Bianca Ortiz-Pallen, A'au, and Navarro all added another try and helped lead the Wildcats to a 38-12 win in game number two.
Game three was the only time that the Wildcats found themselves behind in the game. Montana State started off game three with the first try of the game in the second minute of the game. Central wasted no time in responding as Boldt and Sui linked up with each other to tie it up at five.
Pasioles gave the Wildcats the first lead of the game. Hannah Fallon-Suka, A'au, Navarro, A'au (again), and Ingold all get in on the scoring and took game three by a final score of 39-12.
Mae Sanele grounded the ball for her first try of the day after breezing 50 meters to the try zone to open up game four. Freshman Olivia Kauahi also got her first try of the day in game four after she grounded the ball in the corner in the second minute of the match to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead. Sanele got her second try of the game in the third minute to push the Wildcats further out in front.
Kauahi, Pasioles, Kauahi (yes her third one), Fallon-Suka, and Pasioles (second try of game four) all added tries throughout the rest of the match to take a 48-0 win in game four of the day.
