ELLENSBURG, Wash.—Central Washington men's rugby continues its gauntlet of top-ranked opponents this weekend when the No. 7 Wildcats visit No. 1 Cal, 6 p.m., Friday.
 
THE MATCHUP
Central Washington is playing its fourth straight match against Top 25 opposition following last week's crushing 30-27 loss to No. 2-ranked St. Mary's.
 
Cal (9-0) enters the weekend fresh from a 54-21 at No. 13 UCLA. The Golden Bears, an intercollegiate program, also have victories against BYU and Arizona.
 
THE SERIES
Friday's match is the fourth all-time between Cal and Central Washington, with the Bears holding a slim 2-1 advantage in the series.
 
The teams last met in the fall of 2017, with the Wildcats taking a 26-12 victory in a match played in San Francisco.
 
Cal and Central first met in 2014.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH TODD THORNLEY
"We are very grateful for the opportunity to take on a storied program like Cal. They are another massive challenge for us but also a great opportunity to build on last Saturday's quality performance. If we can work hard for each other off the ball for 80 minutes, then we have a chance. If you take the foot off the gas, then Cal will show their class and make you pay. I am proud of how our guys are continuing to improve and work hard despite some disappointing outcomes and I look forward to seeing them put out a performance we can be proud of on Friday night."