Women's rugby falls to Ducks in Eugene
Noah Tinker
Issue date: 3/12/07 Section: Sports
Playing in their league finale, the Oregon State women's rugby team was unable to pull out the victory in a hard-fought contest against the University of Oregon in Eugene on Saturday.
The final score, 32-7, belied the true defensive nature of the contest, with the Beavers giving as much as they received in a physical game that featured many hard tackles.
The Ducks spread their scores evenly throughout the contest, scoring three times in each half of play. UO used a strong group of forwards to stymie the Beavers and allow their speedy backs to whip outside the scrum and race downfield, often lateralling to trailing backs to keep the pressure on the Beavers.
In the first half OSU was able to come up with multiple open field tackles and takedowns. However, the Ducks kept up the pressure and repeatedly stripped the ball away from the Beavers.
Twelve minutes into the match, UO was finally able to score, putting five points on the board, plus two after the extra kick. Two more scores followed at 12 and 17 minute intervals, with the latter coming just three minutes before the half.
The first extra point kick was the only one successful for the Ducks and helped give them a 17-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, both teams came out fired up. OSU was initially successful reading reverses and other trickery from the Ducks, resulting in several abrupt takedowns for unsuspecting Duck backs. But UO was still able to keep the game on OSU's side of the field, where the Beavers were unable to get anything going on offense.
UO increased its lead seven minutes into the second half, with additional scores six and eleven minutes later to give them their largest lead of the contest, 32-0.
Finally, twenty-five minutes into the second half, fifth-year senior Elaine Schlarb got the Beavers on the board and her younger sister Zoe put in the extra two for the final result.
Coach Mark Baldwin was pleased with his players' efforts. "We've improved a lot, we've got great dedication and a whole bunch of players out here have been here since I started coaching. They've improved a lot and gotten fitter and play better rugby. The whole level of rugby's improving."
Schlarb agrees.
"UO just has a really good side," she said. "Both teams played with a lot of heart, though. We were losing but we played until the end. I'm just proud of my team for sticking it out until the end."
The Beavers' season isn't over though. By placing second in the league, OSU qualified for regionals and will travel to California to play an undetermined opponent the week after spring break.
However, according to Schlarb, "It's hard for us to make it through to nationals because in regionals we play California schools and a lot of them are ranked in the top 10 of the nation."
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Noah Tinker, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
The final score, 32-7, belied the true defensive nature of the contest, with the Beavers giving as much as they received in a physical game that featured many hard tackles.
The Ducks spread their scores evenly throughout the contest, scoring three times in each half of play. UO used a strong group of forwards to stymie the Beavers and allow their speedy backs to whip outside the scrum and race downfield, often lateralling to trailing backs to keep the pressure on the Beavers.
In the first half OSU was able to come up with multiple open field tackles and takedowns. However, the Ducks kept up the pressure and repeatedly stripped the ball away from the Beavers.
Twelve minutes into the match, UO was finally able to score, putting five points on the board, plus two after the extra kick. Two more scores followed at 12 and 17 minute intervals, with the latter coming just three minutes before the half.
The first extra point kick was the only one successful for the Ducks and helped give them a 17-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, both teams came out fired up. OSU was initially successful reading reverses and other trickery from the Ducks, resulting in several abrupt takedowns for unsuspecting Duck backs. But UO was still able to keep the game on OSU's side of the field, where the Beavers were unable to get anything going on offense.
UO increased its lead seven minutes into the second half, with additional scores six and eleven minutes later to give them their largest lead of the contest, 32-0.
Finally, twenty-five minutes into the second half, fifth-year senior Elaine Schlarb got the Beavers on the board and her younger sister Zoe put in the extra two for the final result.
Coach Mark Baldwin was pleased with his players' efforts. "We've improved a lot, we've got great dedication and a whole bunch of players out here have been here since I started coaching. They've improved a lot and gotten fitter and play better rugby. The whole level of rugby's improving."
Schlarb agrees.
"UO just has a really good side," she said. "Both teams played with a lot of heart, though. We were losing but we played until the end. I'm just proud of my team for sticking it out until the end."
The Beavers' season isn't over though. By placing second in the league, OSU qualified for regionals and will travel to California to play an undetermined opponent the week after spring break.
However, according to Schlarb, "It's hard for us to make it through to nationals because in regionals we play California schools and a lot of them are ranked in the top 10 of the nation."
---
Noah Tinker, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
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