Although hopes were high, the Women’s Rugby team fell just short of making the playoffs due to regulations that were changed midseason. Despite the dramatic end, the team had an extremely successful season. Great strides have been made in the past few years, as the team continues to grow stronger and stronger. This season in particular has proved just how far the program has come in just a few short years.

Two years ago, the team had a 0-8 record, then a 1-7 last year. This season, however, the Hawks had a record of 5-2—a major improvement when compared to where they started. It was through hard work and dedication that the team made such strides. Captain Haley Mount believes that it was this dedication that contributed to their most successful season yet.

“We could not have won the games we won without our coaches teaching us everything and our girls being there to execute it,” said Mount. “Our coaches spend hours planning practices, analyzing games and simply just thinking about rugby. Our girls are practicing 4 days a week for 2 hours. Dedication is what made this season what it was.”

Mount knows that the girls all work hard, and that rugby is a priority for the team, which has had a role in the way they play the game.

“The commitment and dedication of our coaches and players is what made the difference,” said Mount. “We were all on the same page.”

Another contributor to the team’s success was their overall knowledge of the game. This allowed players to focus on their skills and play better as a team. Players such as Katlyn Fisher have found they were much stronger as a team this season.

“As a team we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses so we were able to collaborate a lot better,” said Fisher. “We were able to play off of each other, which made us a dominant team this season.”

One of the team’s goals this season was to be more competitive, a goal which they certainly accomplished.

“As a program we wanted to pick up intensity and we did,” said Mount. “Practices became more focused and girls showed up to games with the goal of winning in mind.”

The mindset of the team changed significantly, and they came together to prove their dominance in the sport.

“We are a team made up of athletes who have a lot of talent,” said Mount. “It was time to show ourselves, the school, and our conference our true potential. We still had plenty of fun but we were really just more focused all around. That had to be the biggest change, our attitude towards the game and season.”

The high point of the season was their “Tackling Diabetes Together” match.

“As a team we came together and raised money and awareness about a disease that is near and dear to our hearts,” said Mount. “Not only did we end up raising over $1,000 for the Bionic Pancreas Project, but for the first time in our program’s history we scored 100 points.

Captain Mount felt that this was her proudest moment of the season.

“I was proud of my team for coming together around such an important cause and going out on the pitch as a family and playing one of our best games,” said Mount.

Although it is unfortunate that the team did not make the playoffs, the season as a whole has been a major success, and will hopefully lead to future triumphs. The program is headed in the right direction, and will continue to strengthen in the coming seasons.