Wisconsin Earns Second Win After Bittersweet Forfeit from Des Moines

After a week of hard work and great anticipation for the team's first home game, the Wisconsin Women gained a 28-0 win after the Des Moines Women forfeited the game due to a shortage of traveling players.

The win by forfeit earns Wisconsin both the win and the bonus point in the Midwest standings, but left the team from Madison without a home rugby game Saturday and without a match the team felt positive about winning successfully.

The following Wisconsin players were slated to play Saturday:
Lena Arvola
Megan Bondehagen
Jessica Burda
Perla Casetta
Meg Dickoff
Tricia DiPiazza
Melodie French
Bridgett Hammen
Mary Hanks
Jenn Johnson
Monica Kaskey
Jackie Limberg
Gena Lyon
Katie Meyer
Meaghan Odling
Aletha Petersen
Nadia Riese
Katie Rouse
Rachael Weiker
Katie Williams

Wisconsin Falls to Menagerie on Road, 29-17

In a much-awaited physical battle on the road, the Wisconsin Women earned their first loss of the season to the Minneapolis Menagerie, 29-17, in Minneapolis.

The match marked the first-ever league game between these two teams after a long history of friendlies.

The Menagerie opened up scoring first with a 5-0 lead in the first few minutes after a fullback insert into the backline to break through Wisconsin's defense for a try with a missed conversion.

Still a bit tired after the long roadtrip up from Madison, the Wisconsin Women woke up and rallied back to take a 12-7 lead after two tries from Backs Captain Jackie Limberg at Inside Center. Hard rucks and mauling in the forwards gained ball to set up Limberg's tries with assists from her fellow backs, including a particularly nice assist from a two-on-one with wing Perla Cassetta and Limberg sweeping past the Menagerie wing down the sideline.

An unfortunate high tackle by a Wisconsin player five meters out from the try line drew a penalty try call from the referee to give Minneapolis a tied game at the halftime, 12-0.

Slippery conditions caused by a constant drizzle left both teams with sloppy passes and catches throughout the match.

The second half saw both teams continue battling in the forwards with the Menagerie maintaining pressure on the Wisconsin defense and the women from Madison working hard to fringe and stop the Menagerie forwards at breakdowns.

The Menagerie rallied again for a try, followed by Limberg's third try for a hat trick in the game and then another try from Minneapolis. However, Wisconsin would falter in the closing minutes after losing a player to a red card from a confusing situation at a late ruck and playing down one player for the final 14 minutes.

A final messy ruck near Wisconsin's try line after a Menagerie lineout saw the ball fly out of the bottom inside the try zone into open space. Surrounded by players from both teams, a Menagerie player pounced on the open ball for a final try against Wisconsin.

Wisconsin named Lena Arvola (Prop) and Jenn Johnson (Scrumhalf) as the Players of the Game. Arvola turned in an outstanding and physical game in the forwards, drawing high-fives from many of her teammates, while Johnson lead her teammates all day with great communication to the forwards and clean passes despite sloppy conditions to the backline.

The Minneapolis Menagerie honored Limberg as their Player of the Game for her three tries.

While a frustrating outcome after a loss and traveling with a small roster, including missing Forwards Captain Katie Rouse, Wisconsin felt the match was a success in preparing for greater physical play for future games.

Wisconsin Roster (City, Previous Team):
1. Nadia Riese (Madison, WI)
2. Meg Dickoff (Madison, WI - Amherst College)
3. Lena Arvola (Mt. Horeb, WI)
4. Bev Briggs (Dubuque, IA)
5. Aletha Petersen (Stevens Point, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
6. Tricia DiPiazza (Madison, WI - Oberline College)
7. Katie Williams (Madison, WI)
8. Jessica Burda (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
9. Jenn Johnson (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
10. Jen "Petey" Peterson (Madison, WI - Univ. of Minnesota)
11. Perla Cassetta (Fond du Lac, WI)
12. Melodie French (Madison, WI - Oberlin College)
13. Jackie Limberg (Madison, WI - Marquette Univ., Chicago NS)
14. Rachael "Rack" Weiker (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
15. Bridgett Hammen (Stevens Point, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

Substitutions:
16. Megan Bondehagen (Madison, WI) in for No. 1 Nadia Riese at Prop.

Next Up:
Midwest league game vs. Des Moines Women, Saturday, Sept. 20 at Yahara Rugby Field, Madison. Kickoff - 1 p.m.

Photo: Wisconsin Women after a muddy win, May 2008, photo from Lena Arvola.

Wisconsin Opens Season by Smashing Sirens, 90-7

The Wisconsin Women kicked off their first Division II Midwest season by defeating the Chicago Sirens, 90-7, at Chicago.

Backs Captain Jackie Limberg lead her Wisconsin teammates in scoring with six tries for 30 points, while Forwards Captain Katie "Ber" Rouse nailed 10 conversions for 20 points.

Normally a forward, Rachael "Rack" Weiker ran in three more tries from her new position on the wing and wowed her teammates with her speed and tenacity. Rachael earned Wisconsin's Player of the Game honors for her hard work Saturday on the wing and also jumping in the lineouts for the first 50 minutes.

Rookies Katie Williams (Flanker) and Mary Hanks (No. 8) joined veterans Jen "Petey" Peterson (Flyhalf) and Perla Cassetta (Wing) in rounding out the try scoring.

The only try given up was a penalty try due to a high tackle coming off a Siren weakside overload and the ensuing conversion kick.

Credit to the Sirens, a young team with a new crop of players, for their hard hits and scrappy play. They disrupted several Wisconsin rucks early on as Wisconsin shook off the summer rust and remembered how to play.

Wisconsin was forced to readjust its strategy after the new five-meter rule was not enforced off scrums, but the women from Madison pulled their game together and began to dominate play.

Following the match, the Sirens coach congratulated the Wisconsin Women on their "great technical play" and Chicago named Strongside Flanker Katie Williams as its chosen visiting Player of the Game for "being everywhere and tackling everyone".

Wisconsin's veterans also applauded the play of the team's new players starting in their first 15s game in the red and white - Williams, Hanks (a UW-Madison graduate), Jenn Johnson (UW Grad) and Megan Bondehagen.

Wisconsin Roster (City, Previous Team):
1. Katie "Ber" Rouse (Milwaukee, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
2. Meg Dickoff (Madison, WI - Amherst College)
3. Lena Arvola (Mt. Horeb, WI)
4. Bev Briggs (Dubuque, IA)
5. Aletha Petersen (Stevens Point, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
6. Nadia Riese (Madison, WI)
7. Katie Williams (Madison, WI)
8. Mary Hanks (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
9. Jenn Johnson (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
10. Jen "Petey" Peterson (Madison, WI - Univ. of Minnesota)
11. Perla Cassetta (Fond du Lac, WI)
12. Melodie French (Madison, WI - Oberlin College)
13. Jackie Limberg (Madison, WI - Marquette Univ., Chicago NS)
14. Rachael "Rack" Weiker (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
15. Jessica Burda (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

Substitutions:
16. Megan Bondehagen (Madison, WI) in for No. 5 Aletha Peterson, at Prop.
Katie Rouse to Flyhalf (10), Jen Peterson to Fullback (15), Jessica Burda to Lock (5) and jumper, Nadia Riese to Lock (4), Mary Hanks to Flank (6), Bev Briggs to No. 8.

Next Up:
Midwest league game vs. Minneapolis Menagerie, Saturday, Sept. 13 at Columbia Park, Minneapolis. Kickoff - 11:30 a.m.

Photo: Rachael Weiker, flanking vs. Milwaukee Scylla, May 2008