Allison Mueller/Winonan

They did it again.

Winona State University’s women’s rugby team the Black Katts shut out their opponent and scored triple digits for the second consecutive game in a row. Their victim this week was St. Benedicts, which the Black Katts destroyed 113-0.

Both coaches, Josh Krzewinski and Roger Riley, had high expectations going into this game as the playoffs approach.

“We need to be focused on our skills, our ball retention and our tackling,” Krzewinski said. “Playoffs will put us against another level of opponents, so it’s time to sharpen the skills we have been developing all season.”

The Black Katts sharpened many skills in the practices before the St. Benedicts game.

Riley said that the main focus in the practices before this game was where the tackles are made, as well as the strategies and skills employed when tackling, along with exploiting weaknesses in the opposing team’s kicking.

The goal for the Black Katts this week was not only to win, but also to recognize suicide awareness.

Kourtney Kavajecz promoted this recognition along with other Black Katt teammates. Along with a Facebook event to honor and promote suicide awareness, both teams on Saturday wore yellow ribbons in their hair.

Coach Roger Riley said that due to this recognition, the energy was very high before the game, helping drive the Black Katts right from the opening whistle.

The first half started with Nikki Linberg who scored in the corner, followed by a try in the corner by Lindsay Bucki shortly after, bringing the game 10-0.

After Kristin Semrow kicked the ball down the field, a series of quick hands led Katie Dries to a try, making the score 15-0.

Caitlin Courtney then scored after running around her counterpart, and shortly after that Courtney scored again after sidestepping and bouncing off of a St Benedict’s defender, bringing the score 25-0.

Dries converted an assist from Nadia Nassif to Bucki for a try made the score 32-0.

Two more scores from Nassif and Courtney followed with a conversion by Dries brought the score 46-0.

Ashley Pomeroy scored along with Bucki once again. The score was 60-0 at halftime when Dries converted both of these scores and Linberg made major gains before being brought down around the 22-meter line.

During halftime the coaches made the maximum substitutions allowed. Riley said, “We also changed our offensive pattern to a different one that we have been working on.”

With the energy still high, the Black Katts started the second half picking up where they left off.

Quick hands out the backline allowed Madeleine Skalecki to score, bringing the score 65-0.
Courtney scored soon after, and the conversion from Dries made the score 72-0.

With help from great tackling and box kicks by Samantha Cox and Patricia Harris, Nassif was able to score again with a conversion from Dries, bringing the score 79-0.

After a try from Elle Hoffman and a conversion by Dries, Nassif scored again up the middle, allowing Heather Kohl to convert and make the score 93-0.

Pomeroy made a 50-meter run to the tryline and, soon after, Nassif scored off of a Double X, bringing the score 103-0.

Nassif scored yet again, and a run from Brittany Knight set Courtney up to finish the scoring, ending the game with blowout win for the Black Katts 113-0.

Riley attributed this win to the attitudes of the players.

“They were dialed in, focused and ready to go,” Riley said.

Although the Black Katts shut out their opponent for the second game in a row, they are always looking for things to improve on.

“We need to work on our cover defense when we kick to them, and we need to work on our spacing in the backline,” Riley said. “We also need to work on our tackling.”

When it comes to last Saturday’s win against St. Benedicts, Riley said it boiled down to three things.

“We just out-played them physically, mentally and logistically.”

Contact Allison at [email protected]