On Saturday February 4th, UCSD Women’s Rugby played the GCU Antelopes at Warren field. Right from the start, number 14,  Jelly Stuczynski made a brilliant tackle that stopped the Antelopes in their tracks for a moment and set the tone for the hard defensive plays the Tritons would make for the rest of the game. All throughout the first half, the Tritons put fantastic pressure on the ball, causing the Antelopes to fumble it while passing and even succeeded in stealing the ball at times. At halftime, team captains Sarah Overington and Raquel Goli alongside Coach Christy gave rousing words of encouragement that bolstered the Tritons’ spirits and helped them come back even stronger after the break. Despite having a difficult first half, the Tritons got back on their feet and came back with renewed effort, upping their defense and making sure the Antelopes made significantly fewer tries in the second half. Scrum-half Kelsey Racette gave great chase to a breakaway all the way into the try-zone, which is strongly representative of how the Triton’s spirit never flagged even up until the very end. Left-wing Jessie Boyne made numerous spectacular tackles which really impeded GCU’s progress. It was a tough game, but the Tritons kept their spirits up and heads high throughout, putting up a fight against every try and making significant headway when the ball was theirs. Number 22 Yesenia Montoya made some impressive crashes for the team, breaking through the line of defenders and boosting morale for the team with her power and determination. Even in the last few minutes of the game, UCSD fought on and number 23 Rebecca Stiling made a successful contest for the ball during a lineout that caused the ball to be turned over to San Diego. Although it was a hard game that ended 43-0 to GCU, the Tritons left the field in high spirits, celebrating their teammates’ collective efforts and unwavering spirit.