In the team’s final home match of the 2011 fall season, Wisconsin welcomed a familiar foe to the pitch for a qualifying battle to the Midwest Final Four. Despite a close game earlier this season that saw the Wisconsin Women nip the Palmer Women on the road by just one point, this Saturday’s match was nearly all Wisconsin with a 38-5 victory for the women in red.
Wisconsin used patience and much-improved continuity across the field to run in five tries as they picked apart Palmer’s defense. Flanker Meg Dickoff scored two tries and her hard running earned her Woman of the Match honors (the much-coveted Wonder Woman silk robe!). Hooker Elisa Becker was perfect on the day scoring five for five on conversions and adding a penalty kick for 13 of the team’s 38 points.
The red scrum was dominant throughout the match and saw Palmer choosing lineouts in very windy conditions when presented with the option of scrum versus lineout.
Wisconsin improved to a 5-0 overall record in Midwest Division II play and this playoff victory clinched a trip to Pittsburgh, Penn., for the Midwest Championships, October 29-30. Wisconsin earned the top seed in the Championship bracket and will play the fourth-seeded Buffalo Women in the second game on that Saturday. The first game will see #2 Minneapolis Menagerie play home team and the #3 seed Pittsburgh Angels. The winners of these two matches will meet on Sunday to play for the Midwest berth to the USA Rugby D-II National Championships in Virginia, November 12-13. More details will be available as the team is notified.
Photos from Mary Hanks camera and shot by the stupendous Dana Gordon. Big thanks also to the UW-Whitewater Women, UW-Stout Women and UW-Madison Women’s teams for joining in a mixed b-side match following our playoff game.
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Wisconsin Women – 38
Palmer Women – 5
Click Here for Midwest D-II Women’s Conference Results.
Wisconsin Tries – Meaghan White, Nadia Riese, Laura Hanks, Meg Dickoff (2)
Wisconsin Conversions – Elisa Becker (5)
Wisconsin Penalty Kick – Elisa Becker
Palmer Try – 1
Palmer Conversion – none
Wisconsin Woman of the Match – Meg Dickoff
Wisconsin Woman Bear Mauler of the Match – ?
Team Lineup:
1. Amanda Evenstone
2. Elisa Becker
3. Jackie Neubert
4. Justine Stewart
5. Liz Robinson
6. Sarah Whaley
7. Meg Dickoff
8. Mary Hanks
9. Jenn Johnson
10. Meaghan White
11. Rebecca “Reba” Stillman
12. Jane Sachs
13. Laura Hanks
14. Kelly Mullen
15. Shoshana Griffith
16. Melissa “Helga” Polheber
17. Nicole Helmer
18. Nadia Riese
19. Terri Russell
20. Sammy Clevenger
21. Brittany Martin
22. Michelle “Mike” Blaser
23. Jenny Pederson
Additional Awesome Teammates: Dana Gordon, JP Prigge, Emma Zoch, Sydney Nick, Kelly Clerkin (Coaching), Jessica Burda (B-side Coaching)
