SEATTLE, Wash.--Central Washington women's rugby took on the challenge of playing Seattle Rugby's Premier Side on Saturday and walked away with a 29-5 victory. 
 
It was slow going in the opening minutes as a few penalties saw CWU (1-2) defending in their own zone until Seattle saw space and took the lead 0-5. 
 
"We knew there would be some penalties and handling errors early on coming off a long Winter break," CWU head coach Matthew Ramirez said. "We just needed to get settled into our rhythm and execute what we have been drilling."
 
Field position switched and Noelle Inverso backed herself on a quick tap penalty close to the line and dove over for the first score to tie us 5-5. 
 
The attack ramped up as half gaps started opening for the Wildcats and MaryJane Pasioles took advantage. A line break by Pasioles and a swift offload to Keia Mae Sagapolu saw last year's Sorensen Award Finalist get over the line. Kai Brandt-Templeton made the extras to put the Cats up 12-5. 
 
Then the space opened on the edges as short side attack and quick run/catch/pass had Sammy Stern finding space on the edges for two tries. Stern capped off the hat trick with a kick chase to end the game 29-5. 
 
"I'm proud of what this squad has been building in the off-season," Ramirez said. "We wanted to simplify things and go forward, and the team did just that after they got settled. Assistant Coach, Leah Ingold, has done a lot of work with our backs and they found a lot of opportunities today. It was great to see. 
 
"It's just about belief going forward. We have opportunities to set ourselves up for a good postseason. Now it's time to heal some bodies and get back to work."
 
The Wildcats next host University of British Columbia, 3 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at Tomlinson Stadium.