CWU Women's Rugby headed North for the first matchup of the year against the University of Victoria (UVIC) in Canada. The Vikings got the better of the 'Cats in a physical match with a final score of 12-27.

"For the prep time we had, I was very pleased with the continuity and phase play we put together," Coach Matthew Ramirez said. "Seven Wildcats made their debut today, and to step up against a team like UVIC was a tall challenge that was handled very well by the young group."

CWU started fast and physical in the first 20 minutes spending a majority of time parked in the Vikings' 22m, but couldn't cross the line. The Vikings used their pace and started the scoring as it was 0-22 at the half.
 
The Wildcats cleaned up some early handling errors and maintained possession as the forwards went to work resulting in Keia Mae Sagapolu finding a gap and scoring in front of the posts. First-year Wildcat, Jessica Postle, made the conversion to bring the score to 7-22. 

A yellow card to UVIC was advantageous for the Wildcats as Tessa Hann crossed over bringing the score to 12-22. The comeback was halted and the Vikings capped off the scoring in the final seconds to end the game 12-27.

"I thought that Malia Ili set the tone with plenty of positive tackles and strong carries in her debut for the 'Cats," added Ramirez. "Faiane Eteuini showcased some great athletic ability at center and attacked the line repeatedly. Jessica Postle also made the most of her debut with multiple linebreaks and big hits."

The Wildcats hit the road on an east coast tour next week - facing Penn State at University Park, PA, on October 5th, followed by Navy (2-1) at Annapolis, MD, on October 8th.