ELLENSBURG, Wash.—Central Washington men's rugby continues its postseason journey this weekend when the No. 4-seed Wildcats visit top-seeded Cal in the quarterfinals of the D1A National Championships, Noon, Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.
 
The Wildcats advanced to the quarterfinals following last weekend's 62-17 home win against Cal Poly.
 
THE MATCHUP
Cal and CWU are facing each other for the second time this season. The Bears handed Central a 48-19 loss on March 11 in a match also played in Berkeley.
 
Last week, the Wildcats dominated Cal Poly from start to finish, opening the contest by jumping out to a 33-0 lead in the first half, then limiting the Mustangs to just one try in the second half.
 
Cal hasn't played since a 31-24 win against St. Mary's on March 26. The Bears are 25-0 during the 2021-22 competition season, including 7s tournaments in the fall.
 
THE SERIES
Saturday's match is the fourth meeting all-time between the Wildcats and bears, with Cal holding a 3-1 edge in the series. CWU's only victory against the Bears was a 26-12 win on Oct. 22, 2017, in San Francisco. The Bears and Wildcats first met in 2014.
 
QUOTING CWU HEAD COACH TODD THORNLEY
"Winning playoff games is a difficult task. Taking on the number one team in the country at their place in the playoffs is even harder. We have the utmost respect for Cal, their performances this year and their proud history, and look forward to taking them on this weekend. There has been a significant amount of work done by our group since we last played Cal, and we look forward to having a much stronger start this time around. This is a very exciting challenge for us, and we are determined to be at our best to have a chance in this game. Saturday cannot come soon enough."