April 21, 2008

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (UWIRE) --

Lauren Rosso said her team doesn't play a physical style of rugby -- but for the last five minutes of yesterdays' game, that is exactly what the Lady Ruggers had to do.

Chico State maintained possession those last few minutes and continuously pounded the Penn State defense, which pounded right back, keeping it away from the tryline and solidifying a 38-21 victory.

"We are so tough," Rosso said. "We played a game that we don't normally play and won."

Just a day after beating Florida, 61-7, in a more fast-paced affair, the Lady Ruggers switched gears and bullied their way into next month's national semifinals, keeping their hopes of repeating as national champs alive.

But to win, Penn State was kept from playing its normal style -- fast-paced.

Not only did an aggressive Chico State force it to change, but even the wind picked up at halftime and came straight at the Lady Ruggers.

The turning point, according to coach Pete Steinberg, was after Penn State gave up 14 unanswered points and found itself with a slim 31-21 lead with only 10 minutes remaining. But Kate Daley was able to break through and score a try as Jane Gordon sealed the win with a conversion kick into the gusting wind.

"The backs clicked, the communication was excellent," Rosso said. "Everything finally clicked for us."

The win came largely because the Lady Ruggers were able to overcome two other obstacles: the New Mexico time zone and elevation.

When they arrived at the hotel, the Lady Ruggers decided against adjusting to Mountain Standard Time. Instead, they adjusted the hotel clocks to Eastern Standard Time, because Penn State felt it would benefit if it stayed on EST. The Lady Ruggers played two 9 a.m. matches -- and by staying on EST, the team woke up two hours earlier to practice and prepare.

Steinberg was also pleased his team was able to play in the morning because of the conditions.

"In the morning it was calm but in the afternoon there was some wind that we were able to avoid," Steinberg said.

Steinberg was also proud his team adjusted to being at 4,000 feet without any problems. This season, the Lady Ruggers have been on a stricter conditioning program to prevent wearing out late in games. The program targeted strengthening their respiratory system, consisting mostly of running, including some sessions which are made of 80 minutes of sprints.

"Our players are in great shape," Steinberg said. "They adjusted well and didn't wear out."

(C) 2008 Daily Collegian via UWIRE