George, O'Malley combine for six tries as Women's rugby pounds Fredonia in Regional Playoffs

Junior Inside Center (playing fly-half), Katie O'Malley scored the first two tries of the game, and Junior flanker Ashley George followed with the next four pacing Women's Rugby to a blowout victory on Saturday  47-17.  The win propels the ladies into the DII Regional championships where they will look to defend the title they won last year in Bowdoin, Maine.

O'Malley put the ladies on the board with a looping run on the outside, and then followed it up with a diving run to the corner off a penalty play a few minutes later for a 10-0 lead 30 minutes in.  George would then break the game wide open as she scored three times in the final ten minutes, all on long runs, with O'Malley converting the last one, for a 27-0 lead at the intermission.

George would score her fourth consecutive try ten minutes into the half, but Fredonia would answer right back with a try of their own to make it 32-5.  Freshman prop Morgan Segale would barrel in after a line-out, to increase the lead to 37-5, but once again the score would be matched by Fredonia.  Sophomore wing Katie Jablonski would touch one down after a nice back line overload and Junior Hooker Olivia Gorab would finish the scoring for the Hill scoring a try with 7 minutes to play.  Fredonia would once again punch one through the heart of the defense in the waning seconds, making the final 47-17.  "I loved the effort in the firsst half, but did not love how we finished the game," commented coach Derek Jenesky, "We are going to need to show a little more heart and toughness if we hope to defend our regional championship next week."

The women next travel to Norwich, Vermont,  to defend their regional championship and look to book a spot in the '09-'10 national tournament.