November 4, 2023

Match Recap: UW at Western Oregon University

For our first away game, the Huskies traveled down to Monmouth, OR to play Western Oregon University.

For our first away game, the Huskies traveled down to Monmouth, OR to play Western Oregon University. Friday night we encountered our first challenge, with 12 players stuck in the hotel elevator for 65 minutes until the fire department released them. It was to be determined whether the experience had bonded them or strained the trip.

We started out playing into the wind and, like WSU, our opponents took an early lead. They scored two tries in the first 15 minutes, and we're up by 22 in the first 30. With a UW try late in the first half, We went into the break with a bit of momentum, 22-7.

It was a game of two halves. In the second our playmakers stuck to our game plan, to play in their end and apply constant pressure in defense and attack. Resolved to score the last points in the game, as is our simplistic game mentality goal, we put up 24 unanswered points after their 22, with a final score of UW 24-22 WOU.

Tuesday's training focused on grit and mentality, as our players tend to allow opponents to get an early lead, and struggle to regain momentum when it's lost. UW would be unstoppable if they played defense as they did in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Tries were scored by Brian Cain Jr (2), Josef (Pepi) Dostal, and James Savea. 2 conversions by Christian Mirich.

Our B side showed incredible promise, back and forth with tries, as 15 began to play as 1 over the course of the game. 75% of our roster was blooded for the first time in their first rugby match, while WOU played their last game of the season. The final score was WOU 34-26 UW. Expect to see two of our try scorers Elijah Tavini and Sebastian Sosa in first side games soon. Sebastian Sosa, first time kicking off a tee, slotted two of his three conversions.

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