KENNESAW, Ga.--Despite a tough start to the day, Central Washington women's rugby finished rallied for a pair of wins on Saturday during pool play at the USA Rugby Collegiate 7s National Championship at Kennesaw State University.
 
The Wildcats finished second in the Women's Gold Pool A, advancing them to Sunday's knockout round where they will face Life University.
 
"We knew going into the tournament that there would be some jitters and a bit of rust having not played 7s since 2019 due to the pandemic," CWU head Coach Matt Ramirez said. "That really showed in the first game against a solid Harvard squad. The thing that impressed me most was to see this young squad calm each other down and get back to the basics. We improved each game and that's what we were looking for all day. They put in some solid performances on both sides of the ball against AIC and Penn State.
 
"The way they have taken feedback and applied it immediately into the games has been impressive. Maryjane Pasioles has been leading from the front and has been a standout for us with her technical skills and overall mindset to just compete. Tessa Hann is coming off an injury, but you wouldn't know it watching her play today as she continues to be a young force. Maddie Hadden has really stepped up and has been a joy to watch out there. Our finishers have been outstanding as well stepping right in and elevating the pace and style of the game. Very proud of this group and the tone they are setting."
 
Harvard 25, Central 0
The USA Ruby Collegiate 7s National Championship got off to a rough start for the Wildcats, as Harvard handed Central a 25-0 defeat in the opening match for both teams.
 
Central 24, AIC 5
After a rough start to the tournament, the Wildcats got back into the win column with a 24-5 victory against American International College.
 
Maryjane Pasioles, Tessa Hann and Sammy Stern each scored trys in the first half, and Hann added another in the second as the Wildcats eased past the Yellow Jackets.
 
Central 27, Penn State 7
The Wildcats started the Penn State game the way they ended the AIC game with a quick score from Tessa Hann after Penn State had a handling error and penalty from the opening kickoff. It was all CWU after that as tries from Hann (2), Pasioles, Stern and Sagapolu saw the final score 27-7.