W. rugby knocks off defending champ Illini

With spring on its way in and school on its way out, Princeton athletic teams have begun to wrap up their seasons. Normally, this signifies another National Championship run for the lacrosse teams. But this year, another Tiger team will be joining these two perennial powerhouses – the Women's Club Rugby team. These players are fresh off a 19-10 upset win against defending national champion Illinois in the Sweet 16 and an 18-16 victory over the University of Massachusetts on Sunday in the Elite Eight.

"The wins last weekend were especially sweet," senior co-captain Kim Nortman said, "since no one in the country expected us to perform the way we did."

Princeton seems to have a flair for dramatic endings. Down 16-15 in the final minute of the game, junior Ruth Bryson kicked a game-winning penalty conversion to steal the victory for the Tigers.

"I tried not to think about it as I was taking the kick; otherwise I felt I would psych myself out," Bryson said. "I'm still in shock that it actually went in, because I really wasn't sure I could make it from that far out."

With the wins, Princeton advances to the Final Four, which will be held at Stanford on Friday. The Tigers will immediately challenge a familiar face, as they are slated to face bitter rival Virginia, a team they defeated, 5-0, earlier in the season.

"[UVA] is a very large and intense team that always gives us a really good match," junior Natalie Johnson said. "It's always exciting when we play them."

If Princeton advances out of the semifinals, they will face the winner of the match between Penn State and Navy in the national championship on May 1st.

"I think we have a good shot at it," Johnson said of the Tigers' chances of winning the national championship. "We know we can beat UVA, and we've played the other two teams in the final four."

Although at the beginning of the season, a trip to the championship game was improbable, Princeton is no stranger to success. Traditionally, the team has been a force to be reckoned with at the national level, recording back-to-back national championships in 1995 and 1996 and making appearances in the national finals in 1999 and 2000. But the team has not been to a Final Four since 2001, missing nationals last year for the first time since 1998.

"It's really exciting because rugby has really changed in the last four years," senior co-captain Deirdre McGinty said. "To be able to come through a rough patch and reemerge among tougher competition is a testament to our hard work."

Over the last couple of years, the face of women's rugby has undergone a major makeover, morphing from a social game to a competitive sport.

"Four years ago, rugby was all about drinking and hanging out," Johnson said. "Now it's about competition. The rugby scene has really changed."

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This year, Princeton has faced many obstacles and has taken them all in stride, making the team's feats even more impressive.

The team was forced to deal with the loss of their head coach in the middle of the season. For many programs, this would have spelled disaster, but the Tigers persevered, rallied behind strong senior leadership and made no excuses. Rather than collapsing against teams that were deeper and physically stronger, Princeton has placed itself in prime position to bring home some serious hardware. Players have credited much of their success to new coach Emil Signes, also the coach of the national rugby team.

"He has been absolutely incredible for our team," Johnson said. "He has taught us so much in the few weeks that he has been with us, and he is an integral part of the reason we're in the Final Four."

Judging by this year's success, the Tigers perform well under intense pressure. Even if they fail to win another game, the Tigers will still have achieved more than many teams could even dream, especially considering their circumstances.

"It feels good," Nortman said of their success up to this point, "not only that our hard work, dedication, and resolve through adversity have paid off, but also that the program is back in a place of national prominence."