That's a wrap to the 2023 15s season for UCSD Women’s Rugby. The final league match for UCSD against UCLA was definitely an exciting one. Although it ended in a tough loss, UCSD held their defense and did not allow a single try to be scored in the first 30 minutes. That being said, it was extremely important for the team to maintain their strength in both their offensive and defensive play. Following almost an entire half of no scoring, UCSD had gone down 2 tries within a short amount of time. Our team, both offensively and defensively, took this as a challenge and came back guns blazing in the second half. From the moment the whistle blew UCSD was fully focused and dedicated to the game. This allowed for Raquel Goli, team captain and president, to score her first ever try in a 15s game. This try would not have been possible without the added work of Roslin Amezcua, who pushed through UCLA’s entire defense leaving an opening to offload to Raquel. It took more than two defenders at a time to take Roslin down when she gained possession of the ball. In addition Kelsey Racette was able to try her hand in one of the new defensive strategies, Zumba, which allowed UCSD to gain ground and catch up with UCLAs offense. Though oftentimes it is difficult to win possession back of the ball, our defensive line really stepped up, allowing for quick turnovers in our favor. Jelly Stuczynski, Amara Sengampan, Anique Dittrich, and Millie Sampson were all key players in making sure we were able to regain possession. Millie held us steady, keeping the back of the field secure, and getting in some mean tackles to stop the offense from getting through. With this support from a strong defensive line, new players were able to step out onto the field and some vets were able to step into new positions they had been training for. Flyhalf Sarah Overington got to try their hand in the forward pack as a flanker for the first time in a 15s game! Kelly Dory, Mandy Frazer, and Danya Shamshad were all able to play in their first ever rugby game, with hooker AJ Feller seeing play time for the first time this season after having come back from their injury. All of these changes just goes to show UCSD’s adaptability and fierceness on the field. What a great game to end the season!