20
sports
Oct. 22- Nov. 04, 2013
stoutonia.com
Women’s rugby team pushing for postseason run Alyson Kehn Sports Writer Despite barely having enough players, the women’s rugby team has an undefeated record of 4-0 so far this season. They have a chance at the playoffs this year, which would be a pretty exciting accomplishment. Women’s rugby was moved up to Division II this year, making their undefeated record that much sweeter. The University of Wisconsin–Stout is technically a Division III school, but they were moved up to DII because of their conference: it wasn’t a choice made by the team. The team only has 13 players this year instead of the usual 15. This forces them to play
their whole team for the entire game. There isn’t anyone on the sidelines to substitute in if the players get tired or hurt during a game. “Facing the challenge of playing with fewer women makes winning that much more rewarding,” said Kelsey Guenther. This challenge pulls the team together to work harder. They practice three to four times a week, which usually includes game preparation or team dinners as well. Overall, the rugby team has gone above and beyond expectations with their hard work despite having a small team. This minor obstacle has made them closer and caused them to re-
After a loss to UW–Eau Claire, UW–Stout sits in a tie for second in the conference
ally focus on working together as a team. Interested players can attend practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. on the softball field. The Blue Devils (4-1) will travel to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (4-1) on Saturday, Oct. 26 to play for sole possession of second place.