Chico captain Darby McFall / Photo: Jackie Finlan
The Pacific Mountain conference’s West division opened up last weekend and saw Chico State defeat Stanford 48-17. Week two will pair the Wildcats against UC Davis, while Cal and Stanford meet in Palo Alto.
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“We are very excited about our upcoming year. Our squad numbers are holding steady in the mid 30s, which is something we have not seen before at Chico State,” Chico State coach Alex Triantafyllou explained. “It’s an adjustment that [co-coach and wife] Mary and I have gladly had to make. We have depth in positions where we typically don’t.”
Sophomore Madeline Hyde, one of the few players who joined the team with high school experience (Pleasanton Cavaliers), has transitioned nicely from loose forward to flyhalf and launches a back line with good striking power. Chico State deploys a nice attacking triangle between centers Hannah Westfall and Stefani Bergerhouse, and returning captain Darby McFall at fullback. All three players represented the Pacific Mountain All-Stars during its Women’s Rugby World Cup tour last August, and the trio greatly benefitted from the overseas trip.
Co-captain Andrea Velasquez leads the forwards, and the pack rallies around players like, “our silent, industrious stalwart Stacy Espinoza, who is always on hand to do the hard, dirty work,” Triantafyllou praised. The coach also welcomes the return of Ashley von Bargen, whom Triantafyllou called, “one of the team’s most effective scavengers.”
Triantafyllou attributed the season-opening win over Stanford to the backs finishing their scoring opportunities. Captain McFall scored 23 points on three tries and four conversions, while Bergerhouse dotted down three times and Westfall twice. Chico State held a 31-5 halftime lead but saw its discipline and fitness fall off a bit in the second half. Stanford loose forwards Anna Park and Kathryn Treder scored tries for the visitors in the 48-17 decision.
“Overall we are pretty happy with our performance at this stage of the season,” Triantafyllou summarized. “While it is nice to beat the always-tough Stanford side, the team is ready to see if they can stand up to reigning spring champions UC Davis. For the past several years, Davis has been at the top of our league and the girls are ready to see if they can go toe-to-toe with them.”
Davis warmed up with a friendly last weekend and dropped a 36-10 contest to visiting UC Santa Barbara of the DI Gold Coast. As the Cardinal hosts Cal in the Bears’ season-opener, the PMRC West’s fifth member – Humboldt State – will play its first league game on Jan. 27 against Stanford. The PMRC North will remain dormant until the first weekend in February.