March 22, 2025
Stanford Women's Rugby vs Western WashingtonÂ
Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference Championships
Steuber Rugby
Stanford, CA
Stanford 79 - WWU 0
The Cardinal hosted the Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference Championships on Saturday on the Farm. Cal kicked off the day with a 47-7 victory over the University of Oregon. The Cardinal carried on the Bay Area dominance on the day with a shutout against Western Washington, a team they went 1-1 with during the 2024 postseason. The victory sealed the PMRC Championship for the Cardinal and continues their pursuit to defend a National Title.Â
From the initial kick off, the Cardinal embraced first possession with ample go forward carries from the likes of Sydney Davis '25, Leila Wang Gaouette '26, Jacqui McLean '27, Georgia Scarr '26, and Zoe Colloredo- Manfeld '26 with scrumhalf Emma Cruz '25 delivering quick ball. The 75 second charge culminated with a 25 meter run by #8 Kirsten Lees '27 who offloaded to Ahmyah Hicks '26 for the early try. Flyhalf Laura Bocek slotted the conversion for the 7-0 lead. Lees put on a standout performance for the match with a hat-trick and recognition as the PMRC Championship MVP.
The first half was a battle of kicking as both teams looked to pressure the opposition in the backfield. In the 8th minute, Cardinal fullback Cara Feit '25 commenced her case to subdue the Viking kicking game. Feit fielded a kick near her 22m and ran the ball back to the Viking 22m before being tackles by the winger. Fantastic ball movement by the Cardinal found Davis in the tryzone seven passes later for the 12-0 lead.
The Cardinal went on another run in the 10th minutes following a poach by Cruz to win possession. An emphatic carry by Vanessa Onuoha '25 put the Cardinal in the opposing 22m and the Vikings in a scramble. Bocek would find Davis for her second try and the 17-0 early lead.
In the 20th minute the Cardinal attack charged up the field at the hands of their dynamic forwards. The speed of attack was hard to manage for the Vikings. Davis found Bocek on the short side to bring the score to 22-0. In the 38th minute, the Viking #15 broken through the line and Cruz made the chase back tackle. Lees and Hicks disrupted the ruck and forced the turnover. A strong carry by Lees off the scrum st up the back with momentum and Feit slotted through the defense on her way to a 60m try. Bocek converted the try to bring the score to 29-0 where it would stay for halftime.Â
The Cardinal rode the momentum of the first half and made adjustments to continue to apply pressure. In the 43rd minute, winger Dominique Ruedaflores '26 used fancy footwork to tally a try. Lees followed in the 46th minute after Davis returned the kickoff 20 meters and Cruz dished a quick ball to Lees who danced through the defense on a 55 meter run. Ruedaflores followed with her second of the day in the corner in the 50th minute for the 46-0 lead. Impact reserves Madisyn Cunningham, Hope Adhanom-Shipman, and Paige Fitzpatrick joined the charge early in the half to keep the Cardinal on top.
Following another jackal by Cruz after a tackle by Anna Palacios '26 in the 52nd minute, Bocek sent a box kick into the 15m channel and the ball dribbled into touch beyond the 22m line for a successful 50-22 kick giving Stanford possession at the lineout. The forward pack drove a maul before Lees moved the ball to Bocek who found McLean pacing in for the try. Feit converted for a 53-0 lead.
In the 59th minute, the Cardinal scrum drove over a Viking put in and after strong carries in transition by Hicks and Adhanom-Shipman, Cruz found Bocek for the converted try to bring the score to 60-0.
In the 64th minute, defensive hustle pinned the Vikings back and forced a kick by the Vikings. Hicks gathered the kick and put the Cardinal pack on the attack. A fantastic carry by Scarr, a notable workhorse on both ends of the ball for 80-minutes, set the platform for a familiar Wang Gaoutte pop to Lees for the try under the sticks. Reserve winger Chisa Ogaki '28 converted for the 67-0 score.Â
Denting carriers by Colloredo-Mansfeld and Cunningham set Emily Capstick '25 up for a try in the 73rd minute. Lees finished the match with an emphatic run from the defending 22m off as she shrugged off eight tackle attempts on her way to the line. She went on to convert her own try and receive MVP honors following an outstanding performance boasting three tries, 100% gainline success on 14 carries, and 100% tackle completion rate on the day.Â
Stanford Women's Rugby claimed the Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference Championship in their 79-0 victory over Western Washington Univeristy. They will go on to the USA Rugby 2025 CRAA Spring College Playoffs as the #1 seed in the PMRC and will face the #4 seed of the Pacific Desert Rugby Conference on Friday April 4th at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. A victory would land them in the Final 4 on Sunday April 6th for a chance to secure a National Championship berth.Â
Follow @stanford_rugby on Instagram to check out the Try of the Week and @stanfordclubsports on YouTube to watch a replay of the game.
Tries:
Ahmyah Hicks
Sydney Davis (2)
Laura Bocek (2)
Cara Feit
Dominique Ruedaflores
Kirsten Lees(3)
Jacqui McLean
Emily Capstick
Conversions:
Bocek (3)
Feit (2)
Chisa Ogaki
Lees
Stanford Women's Rugby v Western Washington
- Leila Wang Gaouette (c)
- Nancy Bao
- Vanessa Onuoha
- Zoe Colleredo-Mansfeld
- Emma Troast
- Georgia Scarr
- Sydney Davis
- Kirsten Lees
- Emma Cruz
- Laura Bocek
- Ahmyah Hicks
- Jacqui McLean
- Ana Palacios
- Dominique Ruedaflores
- Cara Feit
- Paige Fitzpatrick
- Eva Lieberman
- Madisyn Cunningham
- Hope Adhanom-Shipman
- Chisa Ogaki
- Vivian Studdert
- Isabelle McNabb
- Emily Capstick