Match Recap: Western Washington University

This was the first WWU game in years where we truly liked our chances. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned. We were largely scripted for the first 10 minutes of the game, running it flawlessly. We scored after 2 minutes with a converted try, showing dominance with the ball and in defense. The caution around kicking to their speedy backs meant we did not use the wind advantage to get a bigger lead.

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The halftime score was UW 7 - 5 WWU.

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The wind picked up in the second half, and WWU used it well. Each visit to their half seemed to result in an eventual turnover, and a kick sending us back 50-70 meters. With each subsequent visit, our morale started to drop, something we have fought against. On Saturday, the momentum swings and widening margin were too much. Two potential UW tries were held up.

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Final score was UW 7 - 31 WWU.

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Worn down by playing tireless defense most of the game, our focus this week will be backing our kicking game, poaching the ball, and developing a more dynamic attack. Our defense was sound and suffocating for most of the match, but with far more possession, WWU capitalized on an increasing number of mistakes in the second half. The game got away from us, and our final drives to score ended in disappointment.

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It's back to work - the sting of that loss had Sunday to settle, and now we move on to Eugene to take on the Ducks. Kickoff will be at 12:00pm Feb 8th at Agnes Stewart Middle School in Springfield. A narrow 14-10 win over the Ducks last quarter means this will be a tough match, but the Dawgs are eager to redeem themselves after this weekend.

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Watch Match Replay