WWU loses to Radcliffe in rugby semifinals

Pittsburgh, PA - Radcliffe heads to its first-ever DII College Championship final after downing Western Washington 32-14 in today's semifinal.

The teams felt each other out during the first quarter, and both sides had a couple of attacking opportunities inside their opponent's 22 meter. For Radcliffe, one thing became abundantly clear: Western Washington knows how to scrum.

"They were the strongest scrum we've faced all year," Radcliffe forwards captain Janelle Lambert said. "They were really aggressive, and we were lagging a bit. Once we amped up our intensity and became more aggressive on defense, our offense picked up."

But not before WWU lit up the scoreboard with a converted try 15 minutes in. It was a wake-up call for Radcliffe, and players like lock Nicole Poteat and flyhalf Evan Hoese forced a tide-change with some big tackles and leg-pumping punches.