UCSC WRFC are the Pacific Coast Champions

after defeating Western Washington 36-10. In the first half we had an onslaught of four or five tries (three in the last three minutes). Unfortunately I personally let a try through, there were a number of penalties and I just turned my back and it was exploited for a try (their nine Heather Stephens was a wily old head). We scored a few more in the second half. We mostly just soaked up their pressure on defense and our scrums were also negatively affected because we had to play a man down for almost the entire half (two yellow cards...team penalties for silly stuff we'll work on). The refs of the tournament were fair and reffed a good game...but once again it illustrated how different LAUs stress different things. I mean things that slow down the game are pretty universally penalized but I've never seen a ref blow the whistle so many times for incorrect quick taps or a hooker striking a ball out of the tunnel(when trying to steal it). I didn't do too much in the games but I think I finally got over my cold so that's a plus. Now I just have to get my life in order, turn 22, prepare for my mom's visit (ie clean), study study study, work a little, fund raise for the trip to "the National Guard's" Elite 8 or Collegiate Championship Series in Albuquerque, New Mexico, buy books etc. Oh..and y'kno train five days a week. Ughhh. Maybe eat. Maybe Sleep.

Pictures to be posted later but yea it was cold in Washington. It wasn't significantly colder then Santa Cruz in winter...but it's spring. And there was a very stiff wind that we used to our advantage but made lineout ball pretty difficult. Then again it didn't rain while we were on the pitch...there was snow on the ground the day we arrived though (at our host family's house not on the field).

Ahh it's good to have that feeling again, my team is my family, wherever we go is home, and trust me sometimes it really is a traveling circus =]

**Edit** just a little addition...
Women's Rugby: Shippensburg Shuts Out Norwich, 30-0
Apr 6, 2008

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - After beginning the season by winning its first 16 games, the Norwich University women's rugby team lost its second straight contest on Sunday, as the Cadets were soundly defeated by Shippensburg, 30-0.

The Cadets (16-2) were dominated by Shippensburg from the beginning of the game, and could not get anything going. The 30-0 final score marks the worst loss for NU in a number of years.

"Confusion best describes this weekend," said Norwich head coach Austin Hall. "On Friday night, we played one of the top Division I teams in the country (West Chester), and we played to our potential. Today, we just fell off the map against another excellent side. I must give a lot of credit to West Chester and Shippensburg; they have both built very strong programs and played well this weekend. We have our work cut out for us over the next two weeks."

Norwich (16-2) will have a second opportunity against Shippensburg (17-1) on April 19 in Albuquerque, N.M., in the quarterfinals of the National Championship.

*edit* this caught me off guard at first but then I realized it was just a typo on the journalist's part...Norwich faces Shippensburg in the first round of 8s and not the quarterfinals (because those matches are obviously still up in the air). Final seeds are up:

2008 Seedings

1 Midwest #1 University of Minnesota- Duluth
2 Pacific #1 UC Santa Cruz
3 Northeast #1 Norwich
4 Southern Cal #1 Claremont College
5 South #1 East Carolina
6 Mid-Atlantic #1 Shippensburg
7 West #1 Wayne State
8 Pacific #2 Western Washington University

It'll be weird without Mary Washington