WWU captain Lauren Heller /// Photo courtesy WWU Women’s Rugby •
Last year, the DII Cascade conference saw three teams engaged in a thrilling race to the league final [read more]. This year, however, Western Washington is out in front, boasting a 6-0 record more than halfway through the split season. There is still plenty of rugby to play, as the home-and-away league spans October through March, but the league president indicated that the champion might be named on standings points alone this year (instead of a final).
“I don’t want to jinx it, but I think we have a good chance to achieve something this year,” wrote Western Washington coach Michael Mauger. “But this is our first year as the coaching team for WWU, so we are taking it one step at a time.”
Mauger joined the Vikings in the fall and worked alongside backs coach and alumna Amy Griffith. When she left in December, Australia’s Nick Barthell picked up the torch.
“We have been building on what was already created last year,” Mauger clarified. “The coaches have brought their own touch to make our game evolve, but we were lucky to have something to build on.”
That foundation is rooted in good numbers. At every training, there are 25-30 attendees, ranging from first-years to players with eight years’ experience. Led by captains Lauren Heller and Kayla Adderley, the vets have worked hard to elevate the rookies, and the team has prioritized fitness.
“When you have the fitness part down, you can really focus on your game,” the coach explained. “Those players will come and practice even in the worst weather conditions to play their best, and travel long distances to play. [Last] weekend we were just in Ashland, Oregon – a nine-hour drive – with a strong squad, and they were rewarded with a 94-0 win.”
That victory against Southern Oregon marked the first match of the spring portion of the season, and Western Washington still has four games remaining.
“Our biggest competition this season has been Western Oregon University,” Mauger recalled the Dec. 3 34-17 victory over the two-time reigning conference champ. “They played a very physical game, but we focused on our set pieces and that helped us overcome them.”
[Relive Western Oregon’s title win last year.]
Western Oregon also dropped a 17-13 contest to Eastern Washington and is currently 4-2. The Vikings and Wolves will play their rematch on Feb. 25, and it will be a road game for Western Washington. In fact, three of the next four games are away, which equates to 1,500 miles on the road.
If there’s a conference championship, then it will occur on April 1 alongside NSCRO’s Pacific Coast Championship. If not, then the Cascade conference will know its representative to the DII spring championship by March 25.
Click here to learn more about the Cascade conference – including, schedule, results and standings.
Want more insight into the national calendar? Click here.