Stanford Women's Rugby

Stanford 7, Penn State 46

2009-06-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

For their last game of the season, the Stanford Women Rugby Players took on Penn State to determine who would win this year's number one title in the on-going saga of championship meet-ups. As returning champions, Stanford fell short, and Penn State pushed ahead for a clear win of 46-7.

At the start of the game, both teams tested the waters of play and showed determination and thrust. The halftime score was 12-7, with Jessica Watkins scoring Stanford's only try, accompanied by a conversion from Melissa Smit. However, the second half proved to be trickier, with Stanford receiving three yellow cards. Penn State responded by stepping up their game and executing and scoring off of scrum and back line moves.

With a stronger pack, Penn State dominated the scrum for all but the 8min that their 8-man Kate Daly was yellow-carded. However, even in these 8min, Stanford was not able to put two and five together to rack up necessary points.

The game ended with a stronger Penn State side coming out ahead, but Stanford did not give up for the duration of the game, nor did they have an entirely lackluster appearance on the pitch. The past couple of years have seen an increase in the level of play for the women's rugby game, and Stanford is proud to be part of this on-going trend. The Cardinal women, however, will have to spend the next year repping their back-up title: the Prettiest team in the nation.

Stanford 31, Brown 12

2009-06-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

For Stanford, the name of the game was stopping the Brown forward-punching centers from breaking the line. And in most cases they were indeed able to do so, while taking more than a little battery to the arms and shoulders. As the cornrowed foes fought on, Stanford did indeed find the holes in order to lay down a try and more. Stanford's round of four game with Brown proved to be the Cardinal’s last win of the season, as the ladies kept Brown in check with a 31-12 win.

Brown did not let up for a second and kept Stanford on their tip-toes as they continued to punch and buck their way towards the unattainable, but Stanford's nerve endings punched back and fired their way towards a couple of smart trys, one of particular note when Miss Jessica Watkins touched down a chip by Amelia Villines. Always a key player, Melissa Smit also touched down and made several conversions.

While Brown showed a tough pack and indeed scored a try from the base of a scrum, Stanford kept it real by going for the ball at breakdowns. Turnovers resulted.

At the end of the day, the score may not have reflected the true battle seen on the field, but Stanford did not have much time to pause as they turned their eyes towards Penn State.

Stanford 29, Army 15

2009-04-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Against Army, Stanford's Diana Peng scored early off of a well-executed driving maul from a lineout 5 meters off the goal line. Army struck back after exploiting gaps in Stanford's backline defense. Luckily, Stanford's front 5 obliterated the Army scrum all 80 minutes of the game. Army won the ball cleanly only once in their scrums. Despite the heavy advantage in the set piece, Stanford wasn't able to fully exploit the turnover balls they won in the scrums. Nevertheless, Stanford utilized Mel Smit's booming kicks down the field and countered with a lethally quick attack from the back three, Ono Nseyo, Jess Watkins, and Ramine Cromartie. Lock, Kira Greco, hooker, Jessica Talbert, and Flanker, Alyssa Tenant did great work around the field for the forwards, and center, Jennifer Cooperrider, in her second game back from a knee injury, got beyond the gainline on multiple occasions. Try scorers against Army also included Kira Greco, Alyssa Tenant, and Ono Nseyo. The final tally was 29-15, and while it was not the usual lopsided victory Stanford is used to, the Cardinal learned a few lessons about defense and exploiting their scrum advantage. After their exploits in Florida, Stanford will play Brown University in the round of four competition on May 1.

Stanford 81, UCLA 10

2009-04-30T22:57:00.001-07:00

On April 18-19, the Stanford Cardinal traveled to Sanford, Florida to play in the National Round of 16 collegiate tournament. After practicing in Sanford all week, the Women took on UCLA on Saturday. In the first half, Stanford started off with a great series of quick taps on early UCLA penalties. Ramine Cromartie broke the gainline and the forwards finished it off with great continuity and a try by Alyssa Tenant. Mel Smit scored next off of another UCLA penalty – running straight in after receiving a quick ball from scrumhalf, Diana Peng. In the 20th minute, Diana Peng and Alyssa Tenant teamed up to steal the ball from UCLA’s scrum and Teresa Molina ran a beautiful strike through
the opposition's backline for the third try of the day. In the second half, the combination of UCLA playing down due to a sin binned player and Coach Griffin putting in a few impact substitutions – namely Jess Watkins, the game was blown wide open. The forwards continued to dominate contact situations with the fresh legs of Susan Dekker and Frances Wehrwein while Watkins ran the ball in time after time. Ono Nseyo, Amelia Villines, and Ramine Cromartie were the other try scorers for the day. Lock, Kira Greco made a huge impact in lineouts and around the field, and scrumhalf, Diana Peng was another standout for the day. The final score was 82-10 in the blow out and Stanford prepared to face Army in the next round.

Spring Break: A Novella by Jessica Watkins and Susan Dekker

2009-04-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

After a perfect season in the Pacific Coast league, the Stanford Women’s Rugby team participated in their annual Spring Break Training Camp to prepare for the post-season. The tradition of spring break camp began 3 years ago when Coach Jonathan Griffin wanted the team to refocus on the skills and teamwork necessary to win a championship. Instead of relying on the players to train on their own during their time off, Griffin thought better to bring the team together and work on team building, conditioning, and skill-building at lovely Californian destinations. Since the tradition began, Stanford has won the last 4 out of 5 national championships and look to win again this year. The following is a recap of the rugby, conditioning, fun, and competition that is Spring Break Camp.

Day 0:
Camp began with night game against Dartmouth at Steuber Stadium. Although the Cardinal won, the game left the team thinking about the skills they needed to work on over the 5-day camp. In order to encourage competitiveness and teamwork, the team was split up into five color teams: Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink, and Purple. The team with the most points at the end of Camp would win the grand prize. Team members could also earn their team points from class-level challenges. The first class-level challenge was arm wrestling, and in a surprise twist, teams had to pick their opponents instead of the best arm-wrestler from their team. In a shocking upset, Clementine Stip won the contest for the freshmen.

Day 1: This year, Camp took place in the Russian River Valley in Guerneville, California. After the long drive from campus, the team had an afternoon practice consisting of mostly contact work: tackling, leaching, driving, clearing out, and decision making. The team quickly realized Camp was going to be all fun and games, and everyone needed to step up their intensity and physicality to make the camp a worthwhile rugby experience. After practice, the team began their daily regimen of recovery in the Russian River. Lucky for the team, the frigid river was accessible from the backyard of their lodging, and whether at 7:00am or 5:00pm, the river served as nature’s version of the ice-bath. The team then enjoyed a wonderful dinner cooked by loving Team Mom, Nancy Smit. The day ended with an ‘Amazing Race,’ team challenge. The scavenger hunt involved various activities such as blowing bubblegum bubbles, flinging a shoe, and finding hidden personalized water bottles. Team purple 'cleaned up' on this challenge.

Day 2:
After breakfast cooked by Team Mom and Assistant Coach Tina Nesberg, the team left for practice. Although the daily drives to practice included a beautiful scenic tour of redwood forests and open fields of farmland of Guerneville, the team anxiously sat through the ride knowing a brutally fun physical test awaited them at the practice field each day. During morning practice, Coach Griffin revisited the fundamentals decision making in contact. In the afternoon the team ran their patterns of play, working on strategic decision making the back 3, who left with Becky Unruh and Coach Griffin to work on their catching skills. While the Stanford wingers and fullbacks are fast-ish, catching high balls can be challenging for them at times. Unruh, an Assistant Softball Coach at Santa Clara and a former walk-on for the Stanford Softball team, took the girls through footwork and catching technique drills. The rest of the team arrived at the field and practiced patterns, line outs, and back play moves. Team Building was a ‘Top Chef’ challenge where teams were judged on taste, presentation, and adherence to the ‘Spring Break’ theme. The teams sent their youngest members to the store for ingredients, and had 90 minutes to prepare entrées and desserts. While a surprising amount of artistic and creative abilities were displayed across all groups, the judge panel quickly learned most college students have great culinary ability. Every team put forth a great effort, but in the end it was the back 3’s pasta salad and berry smoothie that won. It was simple enough to win over Coach Griffin's unsophisticated palette. After team challenges, the team enjoyed mandatory fun the rest of the night. Before departing for Stanford, the team made the most of their Guerneville trip by enjoying Armstrong State Park and running the East Ridge Trail – an intense vertical climb up and down the ridge surrounding the redwood forest valley. Nothing like an uphill and downhill trail run through a beautiful redwood forest at 8:00am to completely ruin your knees after five days of physical and mental exhaustion to cap off Spring Break Camp. Everyone made it out of the woods, and after breakfast, team sapphire was announced as winners of Camp challenges, though purple was a close second. Everyone cleaned, packed up, and headed back to campus ready to face post-season with a renewed vivacity and desire to win a national championship.

PacCoast Playoffs

2009-04-06T14:37:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Stanford entered into their first post-season play, with a match versus BYU. With the final score being 33-12, Stanford had a number of lovely plays, with the majority of the lovely plays being scored upon. That being said, it is likely that Stanford would have done better to play more of the game in BYU's half. One highlight of the game, not to be overlooked, were Stanford's scrums! The scrummies really got their sink on as they pushed back BYU's pack. Even if not stealing the ball a large amount, the push was enough to put BUY's backs on the back track before coming forward. Other players of notable play were Ono Nseyo, who caught a number of balls, and Jessica Watkins, who skidaddled on towards the goal line for a handful of touch downs.

The Saturday day win brought a Sunday game of fire versus Chico State. As always, the Cougars brought a lot of forward movement, with a penetrating pack flocking to the skirts of breakdowns for A-B punches. Despite this, however, Chico through down only one try in the first half, with a couple of potential trys being held up in the try zone. The first half score was 12-7. Then, after being on the receiving end of finger-pointed motivation, Stanford got it together and started making plays. Opposing line-outs were sacked, the scrums continued to be contested with vigour and vim, and the backs finally began to settle down and administer play-calling techniques to the game. With some outrageous runs from Ono Nseyo and Jessica Watkins, as well as a bit of forward glory from Janae Grijalva and Victoria Whittaker, tries populated the scene, giving much excitement to members of USA Rugby. The final game score was 52-5. With this win, Stanford's will go into the Round of 16 competition with the #1 seed and will face off against UCLA. The game will be taking place in Miami on April 18th.

Stanford 52, Dartmouth 5

2009-03-30T13:25:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night marked Stanford Women's Rugby's first game under the lights as they hosted the green ruggers from Dartmouth. Tuesday also marked the first day of Stanford's much anticipated Russian River Spring Break Camp. However... as seems to be the theme in so many of these posts, while Stanford was able to clinch a win versus Dartmouth, they did not carry as much positive momentum throughout the game as they would have liked. It was the case that there was some really good stuff happening at times, but often enough, the ball was knocked on by wild throws, mostly from the backs. The forwards dominated the scrums in the first half but then had some trouble in the second half as Dartmouth stepped up their game. All in all, the game was still a good opportunity for Stanford to look to readjust their play in relation to having a different line-up, with younger players looking to step up their game. A shout out should also go to Miss Jessica Watkins, back for her first full Stanford game after competing with the US National 7's team at the World Cup. Kenya believe that!?!

Again, Stanford would like the thank Dartmouth for coming out to California! It's always a treat to play new teams.

Stanford 22, Chico 15

2009-03-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Stanford's last league game followed their bout in San Diego as they traveled to Chico, California to play the most important game of the season thus far, versus Chico State. The weather was far more favorable on Saturday than it was two years previous, and Stanford's lack of injuries sustained during the game called the experience a success, in some respects. In other respects, the game was a success as well. When Stanford did good stuff, as always, it was really good. The the balls scored touched many hands before touch-down, and forward running was key. However... not all aspects of the game were a success. It seemed that at any given time, only a few players were really in the match, though it had been requested of each them to give a full 80min. Yet, knock-ons were in fashion for the backs in the first chunk of the game, and the AB channel could have been defended better by forwards near their own goal line. All-in-all, not the worst, not the best. Illumination is given to places for improvement. Stanford now looks to their last season game vs. Dartmouth and from there will push on to spring break and PacCoast playoffs, where they have the number one seed.

San Diego Champagne Classic

2009-03-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend brought another tourney to put in the books for the Stanford Card. The San Diego sun spoke of high intensity play as it beat down on the Stanford players. All received its kiss, along with bountiful snacks provided by Team Moms (first edition and version 2: San Diego). No Gatorade G2 was consumed. 'Protein Bars' which have contents extremely similar to candy bars were had by one.

A summery of game play from Jennifer Cooperrider:
We lost the first game 41-5 to the Last Call (Beantown). We won the second against Coast, and lost the third to Belmont Shore, but we were still able to avoid the loser's bracket, since we won a game. The fourth game, which we played against the San Diego club team, was the first game of bracket play in the tournament. It was fast-paced game, full of constant competition for the but, but we won, and this allowed us to continue on to play on Sunday. We were again matched up against Beantown/Last Call, which we excited for, since it was going to allow the team to show growth over the course of the weekend. We lost this game to knock us out of the tournament, BUT the score was only 17-5, and Beantown's last try came in the last minute. Griff called this performance the "performance of a lifetime" (wow...right?), and we showed significant progress in our intensity and attacking the gain line. Bisqit gave a slightly more accurate description of the match as the "performance of the season so far."

But significant progress was made!

Next week brings our last league game of the season vs. Chico. After that, Stanford will play a spring break match versus Dartmouth and then continue on to the PacCoast Playoffs!

Stanford 41, Davis 19

2009-03-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

Donning the Saturday of parent's weekend was Stanford's match-up with the UC Davis Aggies. Like a previous set of Aggies, the Davis Aggies liked to pick and go around the fringe, much to Stanford's chagrin. While Davis was able to score at least two tries off of such methods, Stanford was not passive at the breakdown. Clear-outs were much better than in previous games, as documented by the stats. Additionally, forward motion was a key element of the game, and the first half showed much continuous play, with offloads and passes to the wing securing a number of Stanford tries. Key try scorers of the game were Ono Nseyo and Nomis Okolo. Trying out a new position as 8-man, Janae Grijalva ran her heart out, proving that she can take it and give it. Also popping up everywhere was yes-woman Alyssa Tennant.
Due to sub confusion and forward illusion, Stanford's lineouts weren't as good as they traditionally have been, but we suspect that prevalence will shoot to the heavens during Stanford's next match-ups in San Diego. Stanford will be playing four 40-min halves, feat. hard work and perspiration.

Stanford 17, BYU 15

2009-03-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Stanford Rugby Women welcomed the BYU Women to Steuber Rugby Stadium this past Saturday. It was a hard-fought match all around. The match was extremely fast paced, meaning both teams had to react quickly.

The final score was 17-15. BYU was up at the half, with a converted penalty, and a try after multiple phases of picking and going around the breakdown. Diana Peng blocked a kick off of BYU's own goal line and touched it down.

The second half went slightly better for the Cardinal Ruggers, with more possession. Teresa Molina, better known as t-mo, scored in the corner off of a few phases of brilliant rugby. Melissa Smit also had a try.

A huge thank you to BYU for coming out and playing some outstanding rugby. It was a great experience for both teams!!

Stanford 52, Reno 5

2009-02-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

The winds were not blowing, but the snow did fall, as Stanford made the bi-annual journey to Reno, Nevada. Clad in tight, black spandex, or in Brittany Wheelock's (Anchorage, Alaska) case, skins, Stanford flicked flurries as they scrummed, passed, and ran in their neighboring gambling state. To Ma Nature's credit, though, snow is actually better to play in than rain.

In any case, while not particularly distracted by the weather, Stanford did not execute as well as they might have liked. Where were the lines? Where was the consistent clearing out? Well. The Stanford scrum did come together to take charge of this set piece, but overall, there was a lack of finesse that Stanford would like to see thrive. Perhaps they will talk about such things in the coming week...

An even snowier game followed the A-side match, as the Crawford squad's vision was impaired by impending flakes. However, some powerful driving forward from all squad members did well to overcome any small lapses in execution. Particularly notable were some long-legged tries scored by Nomis Okolo. Perhaps even more notable, the rock-shot-topiest try from striding lock Arden Madsen. It is worth noting that the Crawford team's final score was 43-0, with all points scored in one half of play. Cheers!

Stanford 35, Cal 0

2009-02-09T23:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day as the Stanford Women's Rugby team arrived at Cal's football stadium. Stanford was able to secure a "W" beating Cal, 35-0, and while the result was what the team had hoped for, the play during the game was not up to Coach Griff's or the players' standards. Playing on a shortened field caused some trouble for the Stanford team, as did the lack of support for ball carriers. Although the team was not able to play to their usual high standards, Saturday's game showed what they need to work on, and hopefully, they'll be able to iron out the kinks in their remaining league games. Perhaps they need more fitness work- a point to consider.

On the backs behalf, both Amelia Villines and Jennifer Cooperrider contributed tries. And with what has to be come expected from the Stanford pack, Alyssa Tennant and Frances Wehrwein also found themselves in the try zone. Melissa Smit, with her beautifully toned legs, was able to convert all 5 kicks for extra points.

Next week brings Reno, which may not have weather quite so fair.

Crawford 45, Cal B 37

2009-02-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

The Crawford team had an excellent game this Saturday against the Cal B team. They had the opportunity to travel to the UC Berkeley campus and play in their football stadium, in unexpectedly superb weather. The prospect of playing on a slightly narrower field, made of turf instead of grass, presented a new challenge, to which the Stanford women adjusted to win over their hard-hitting opponent. Many players had an opportunity to play new or unfamiliar positions: Clementine Stip and Charlotte Eilbert, usually wingers, got to try their hands at a little more ball-handling in the center, while Ashleigh Rose moved from center to wing, providing a lot of support for her fellow backs, and forward Johanna Nagy stepped up to play scrum-half, brilliantly rising to the challenge. Some other highlights of the match include a circle ball executed by Andrea Romero that broke the defensive line and led to a try for Stanford. Forward Kasonni Scales also broke through the defensive line several times to make some excellent runs and bring her team forward, and Nomis Okolo made several also excellent runs at the wing to score many of Stanford’s tries, demonstrating her fierce ability to blow past and outrun the defense. Although on several occasions Stanford lost their organization, they were able to recover and regroup to step up their game, and make some good plays and decisions. The Stanford women’s tiredness caught up with them as the game wore on, and Cal scored most of their tries in the last twenty minutes of the game, giving the Crawford team a lot to learn from and focus on for the future. In the end, the Stanford women were able to celebrate a great victory, and they had much to be proud of. After the game, the Cal team hosted a high-spirited and friendly social, with lots of delicious food and a fierce dance-off! Stanford would like to give a big thank you to the Cal team for hosting them for a great game of rugby.

Crawford 19, Santa Clara 20

2009-02-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

On Thursday February 5th, the Crawford Team played Santa Clara, ultimately losing 19 to 20. Under the lights, the Crawford team battled hard and with tries from several players (ex.> Nomis Okolo and Kasonni Scales), Stanford was able to maintain a lead for the majority of the game. However, in the final seconds of the game, Santa Clara blocked Stanford’s kick, converting it into the winning try. While Stanford lost, passing and the scrum significantly improved.

Stanford 52, Texas A&M 0

2009-02-01T18:41:00.001-08:00

Saturday was an exciting day for Stanford Rugby. The Texas A&M Aggies came up to the Stanford pitch in order to bring some variation and increased competition to their game schedule, and Stanford welcomed them for the same reasons.

The two teams adjusted to each others' game plans for the first few minutes, but Stanford soon broke the line to score a try. The Aggies, however, did not make it easy for the Cardinal. The Texan forwards consistently disrupted Stanford's rucks throughout the game and turned over many Stanford balls. The backline also utilized dummy runners, which the Stanford defense soon adjusted to. The Aggie's well-placed kicks did not give Stanford and room to mess off during kick-off receives.

However, Stanford's hard hitting backline and could-be-backs forwards continued to throw points on the board. Most notably, winger Ono Nseyo touched down many a ball in the try zone. Susan Dekker and Victoria Whittaker also worked some magic as they found themselves in the try zone with ball in hand.

Overall, Saturday's game was what Stanford was looking for. The Aggies aggression around the breakdown and constant pressure was a huge challenge and will serve as point for improvement. After the game, the two teams had a lovely social, which was coordinated by Stanford's lovely Team Mom. Stanford would like to thank A&M for coming out. It was great fun playing. We hope to see you next year or at the USA Rugby National Guard College Playoffs Round of 16.

Stanford 126, Humboldt 0

2009-01-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

Stanford made a fast break into their seasonal play this weekend with a victory over Humboldt State. While the outcome was favorable, Stanford's play ebbed and flowed during the duration of the match. As support for breakthrough players was sparse, Stanford instituted a new policy of 'high fives,' allowing everyone on the team to work to touch fingers with the scoring rugger. Support for these star players subsequently increased. Clearouts also took it to the bridge, as Stanford elected to put LESS players into the breakdown in order to achieve MORE.

It was a fun day, with back and forward glory. When Stanford decided to do things, they did them well. Like an ice cube sliding down a dewy hill.

Crawford 52, Cal B 12

2009-01-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

The sky was dim over the Steuber Rugby Stadium, but the Crawford XV didn't let the weather cloud their spirits. With several players returning from abroad or injury, and after an outstanding victory by the first team, the second team was eager to prove that they too could play excellent rugby. Starting the game off with great body position in contact, the Stanford women were able to retain possession of the ball despite the physi-Cal-ity of the opposition. (Post written by Johanna Nagy) The forwards brought glory to the pack with effective pick-and-gos and outstanding support especially by Jen Bido, Diana Bowers, and Sarah Roe. Flanker Brittany Wheelock showed superb guile as a lineout jumper. Similarly, the back line consistently demonstrated its speed and prowess, resulting in a number of tries. With the second team in need of a kicker, Aliy Bossert showed her perseverance and made several beautiful kick offs. Prop Meg Waltner also impressed many with her kicking skills, making several conversions.

In the second half of the game, injuries and the lack of subs allowed several players to try their hand at new positions. Clementine Stip moved from wing to inside center, and flanker Johanna Nagy had the opportunity to play wing. However, the Stanford players responded well to the changes, and by increasing their communication, they continued to play a high level of rugby. Scrum half Karla Martinez put great pressure on Cal, and Stanford turned over many balls. The back line also kept up the intensity of play, allowing winger Nomis Okolo to score numerous tries. The game ended with a score of 51-12 Stanford and smiles on the faces of the proud Crawford players. Tries were scored by Aly English, Carla Martinez, Andrea Romero, Nomis Okolo, and Clementine Stip. With every single player on the team taking initiative, communicating, and bursting with a contagious enthusiasm, the Crawford XV set high standards during their first game of the season and had a lot of fun.

Stanford Invitational

2009-01-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

Stanford would like to thank all of the teams who came to the Invitational this year. The level of play was outstanding, and the competition between teams was significantly higher than it has been in past years. We hope that this trend continues, as women's rugby becomes a more dynamic and nuanced sport. We had a lot of fun this year and hope that we get to see all the participating teams next year. Thanks for coming!

Stanford Recap:
The Sun gods smiled brightly at Stanford this weekend, as Stanford Women's Rugby hosted the fourth annual Stanford Invitational. At times there were three pitches running matches, and teams from California, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico came to compete in the tournament. Each team played three 40-minute games the first day and then competed in bracketed play the next.

Stanford got off to a shaky start as they let their first match go to Oregon 5-10. Oregon's size and sheer desire for the ball helped them disrupt Stanford scrums and dominate rucks. However, Stanford then regrouped and everyone started trusting that everyone else would do their jobs. Hard-hitting strike moves from the back line and some fresh players helped in defeating Wyoming 41-3. The next game was a step down for Stanford's level of play, as players did not consistently clear out beyond the ball (UCLA were very physical and did not give up a meter without a fight), but the pace and work rate was up, and Stanford pulled out another win against UCLA 14-0.

Stanford's 2-1 Saturday record seeded them fourth in bracket play, and they started out their Sunday games against UCSB. Again with some fresh players, Stanford packed on the heat and played an outstandingly fast-paced game, resulting in a 40-0 win. The next match proved to be all that Stanford hoped for. The strong New Mexico team put up a fight around the rucks and made some great steals all throughout the game. Stanford continued to bring a great work rate, while New Mexico's kickers looked for and found space on the field. Throughout the match, the score fluctuated, as both teams continuously raised their level of play. In the end, Stanford pulled ahead to 21-15 in order to advance to the finals.

Reminiscent of previous years, Stanford played Chico State in the final match of the Invitational. The two teams, well known to each other, worked incredibly hard to retain the ball in contact, as both sides fought for possession of the ball. However, Stanford’s 'new' 'smart' work rate and the advice from their coach (Griffin) to run until they had to be dragged off the field allowed Stanford to pull ahead and win the game 26-0. The back MVP of the tournament was Heidi Overton (New Mexico), and the forward MVP was Kelsey Harter (Chico). Stanford also picked their own MVPs. The back MVP of was Ramine Cromartie (great tactical decisions and tackles), and the forward MVP was Alyssa Tennant (popping up everywhere with great strides forward).

Stanford 5, Alumni 30

2008-11-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

On Sunday the annual Alumni game was held at Stueber Stadium. Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving break, the teams played 7 vs. 7, with rookies showing a strong force on Stanford's side. Even with the addition of two assistant coaches on the team, the Alumni won the game 30-5, with the majority of the Alumni tries scored by Carey Myslewski. Carey has always been very good at rugby- it is unlikely that she will ever not be good. Regardless of the score, both teams had a ton of fun. Also having fun was Jenn Fuller, who is training to become a referee and reffed her first match at this game. The Alumni enjoyed returning to their stomping ground, and it was a great experience for the rookies to see and participate in a higher level of rugby. Over the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, the Stanford Women's Rugby Team will be lifting and conditioning in preparation for their upcoming season, which kicks off with the Stanford Invitational Tournament held at Stueber Stadium on January 17-18. Hope to see you all there!

Stanford 50, UC Santa Cruz 17

2008-11-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

A dewy morning precluded a mostly dry afternoon, as the Stanford Women's Rugby ruggers took on the Santa Cruz slug ruggers at Stueber stadium. Rebounding from the week before, "The Card" hit the line with pace, albeit sometimes lack of depth. The back line was fueled by the head swinging mistress Melissa Smit and the calm lover of life Ramine Cromartie. Hookers Janae Grijalva and Johanna Nagy enjoyed themselves as they hooked many an SC ball. Tries were scored primarily by the backs, though Frances Wehwern (flanker) touched a few down. And, oh wait, Victoria Whittaker (8 man) got one as well. In the mid-before-later part of the game, however, Santa Cruz capitalized on some Stanford missed tackles and ball ambiguity to put in a few of their own. With the diligent grilling of Ramine Cromartie and incessant fretting of Susan Dekker, the Stanford ladies shared a lovely social with Santa Cruz after the game. The women now look forward to their fitness testing and winter workouts. Though not every lady will find herself completing the running workouts out-of-doors (this winter looks to be a cold one for the nor'easters), modified cardio machine workouts will keep them on their toes.

Stanford 17, Davis Double Deckers 44

2008-11-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Sunday was the perfect, sunny day for rugby. The Stanford Women kicked off to a very physical Davis Double Deckers team. Throughout the game, Davis utilized their experience and aggression in the breakdown to secure clean ball and stymie Stanford efforts to break through their defensive line. The first Stanford try of the game came after flanker Ono Nseyo popped a turnover ball to flyhalf Melissa Smit. This ball was then passed through the back line to a determined flanker, Alyssa Tennant, for the score.

Throughout the rest of the first half, Stanford became more tenacious in the defensive line, led by stellar defensive performances by Ramine Cromartie and Victoria Whittaker. When Stanford was able to move the ball quickly and build multiple phases together, Davis was no match the speed and agility of the younger team. However, as the game wore on, Davis continued to batter Stanford with forward runners and pick-and-roll play around the breakdowns.

Stanford 128, St. Mary's 0

2008-11-13T09:15:00.001-08:00

It was a cloudy Saturday morning and Stanford Women were ready for their second full 15's game of the season against the Saint Mary's Gaels. In the first minute Ono Nseyo used her speed to score the first try of the game. Stanford's young team had some trouble with kick off catches, but soon worked their way into the game, making excellent decisions off set piece and breakdowns. Within the first 20 minutes many cardinal players had scored tries, and Amelia Villines skillfully converted many kicks for the extra points. Stanford left the first half 56-0 and were ready to face forty more minutes from the Gaels.

Saint Mary's came back with a fiery kick, but did not overcome the quick and strong Cardinal. Emily Wyatt and Diana Peng made some smart moves off of scrums won by the Stanford pack and fast-moving centers ran through the Gael defensive line. Saturday was a true learning experience for the many players on the Cardinal team and Stanford reminded everyone of their talent for breaking through defensive lines and offensively dominating the game. The final score was 128-0. Stanford’s next game will be against the Davis Double Deckers 11:00 am on Sunday November 16th.

Crawford 0, Santa Clara 17

2008-11-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Crawford XV took on the Santa Clara Broncos this Saturday under ideal rugby weather with slight rainfall. The game proved an excellent learning experience for all of the players on the field and a great first game for many of the rookies. The broncos got in two tries early in the game and the Crawford team wound up on its heels for the majority of the first half. Crawford struggled to support the ball carrier with depth and gain sufficient forward momentum; however, this proved a great learning experience to put our defensive line into action.

In the second half, Stanford picked up the intensity and things began to click on both defense and offense. Communication increased and the team gained needed momentum. We were able to get several breaks off our attacking scrums and got the ball going forward, playing the vast majority of the half inside Santa Clara's 22. Unfortunately, once near the try line, the team became static and flat, crowding around the ball. This made it difficult to produce quality try scoring opportunities. The final score was 17-0, Santa Clara.

Stanford 5, SF Fog 24

2008-11-03T01:55:00.000-08:00

The rain clouds brought energy and determination to the field. The women scuffled around in mud and muck. Scrums were moved left and right in attempts to find a bit of clean land. There was much to play in and much to learn in.

Stanford traveled to Treasure Island on this stormy Saturday and left the pitch a bit more educated at the end of the day. With a newly formed team of returners and rookies, Stanford took on the Fog in what was to be a wet match.

The Fog came on strong to the field, using their forwards' front-running prowess in order to break through the Stanford defense. Stanford's one-on-one tackles improved throughout the day. The rookie play also cleaned up as mistakes were made and lessons learned.

The fog touched down and made several impressive conversions.