The conditions were perfect for the crew of women who proudly call themselves the “Dirty Ducks.”
“It was cold, rainy and the field had two sand baseball diamonds on it in opposite corners,” athlete and coordinator Kara Winek said of her team’s trip to Seattle over this weekend. “The grass was really about four inches of muck.”
The Oregon women’s rugby team (8-5, 2-0 Pacific Northwest League) traveled to participate in a skills camp and a friendly non-conference tournament with the University of Washington and the Division I club Seattle Breakers, .
After two hours of skills training with the Breakers, Oregon overpowered the Huskies 30-5 in its first match of the day.
Winek said sophomore Jenna Sessions had a great breakaway in the battle. Afterward, Junior second-year player Katie Kaiel and sophomore captain Liz Kilgore shared “Man of the Match” honors, which was given to outstanding performers.
The Ducks, who are seeking a seventh straight PNL Championship, took a 10-minute breather after the match and were then fast-tracked into their second game, this time against the Breakers – a squad Winek described as “huge.”
“They’re amazing and some have been playing together for 10 years,” Winek said.
Oregon lost 31-0, but held Seattle to 12 points in the first half.
“This entire weekend was a complete team effort with all of the small things coming together for all of the 28 players,” Winek said.
And perhaps the best part of the weekend for the Dirty Ducks?
“We all came out completely covered in mud … You couldn’t even see what colors the shorts and jerseys were much less what number was on it,” Winek said. “Yet, we were all smiles.”
The Ducks’ next two matches will be PNL battles. They will play Reed College in Portland on Saturday and then will host Oregon State University on March 10 at noon on Riverfront Field, where Winek said Oregon has not lost a home league game in six years.