Allison Mueller/Winonan

After a week of strictly homework and running, Winona State University’s rugby team, the Black Katts, picked up where they left off two weeks ago.

The Black Katts traveled to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to play their first game in the national playoffs and left with a huge win 76-0.

Besides keeping up the team’s fitness, coach Josh Krzewinski said that the coaches have also “encouraged and challenged the girls to do everything as fast and as hard as possible.”

Inside center player Madison Skalecki said, “We cannot go into the game overconfident. We need to remember to ruck hard and go as hard as we can until the time stops.”

Although the Black Katts have done extremely well against UW-La Crosse in the past, Krzewinski said, “They have improved and nearly won their Wisconsin league. I look forward to a good rugby match.”

And a good rugby match is exactly what Krzewinski saw.

The Black Katts were very focused before the game and this translated into a fast start playing into strong winds.

After shaking off nerves and little mistakes, the forwards and backs controlled the ball all the way down the field. Coach Roger Riley said, “It was very pleasing to see the players doing everything we had practiced.”

The first to score was Kathryn Zahn, followed with a nice run by Nadia Nassif to set up Katie Dries and Caitlin Courtney in a series of passes.

Ashley Pomeroy then passed off to Georgia Porter for a try, bringing the score 10-0.

The score was quickly turned 15-0 after Lindsey Bucki scored a try. After a pass from Courtney to Dries for a try, the score was brought to 20-0. Nikki Linberg followed by scoring her first try after a series of rucks and the ball going out the backline, making the game 25-0.

Linberg started off the second half by scoring again after a series of passes from Porter and Zahn, followed by the kick from Hillary Zimmer, bringing the score to 32-0.

Heather Kohl, fullback, then received the kick and wove through the entire UW-La Crosse forward pack, busted three tackles and then entered the try zone for points in a great individual effort.

Pomeroy then propelled Sydney Norman into the end zone, making the score 42-0. Linberg followed by firing over the line and scoring her fifteenth point of the game, bringing the score 47-0.

Then Courtney tacked the inside cut and scored, which allowed Zimmer to then score the extra points, making the game 54-0.

Rachel Hunter then scored a try and made the score 59-0, although the next ten minutes were spent trying to stop her bloody nose. Following Hunter was Bucki with a score from a pass of a lineout and the conversion by Katie Dries, bringing the score 66-0.

After being out for six weeks, Holly Edelburg scored next, followed by a try from Kourtney Kavajecz, making the final score 76-0.

“I think we put together one of our better games of the season,” Riley said. “The forwards were dominant in the rucks and mauls and the backs ran and kicked very well.”

Next the Black Katts will travel to Wayne State University in Nebraska to compete in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of the playoffs.

“We know very little about Nebraska other than they have a very talented winger,” Riley said. “I think we will have better fitness than them, but I was surprised by their large win against Colorado College.”

In preparation for the game against Wayne State University, the Black Katts are going to focus on themselves and how they need to play in order to win. Riley said this includes “concentrating on doing all the small things well.”

Contact Allison at [email protected]