Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

The Wolves won big, then bigger, as Western’s men’s rugby and lacrosse teams outperformed their competition after picking up a few wins in the month of February. Rugby not only won, but trounced Oregon State, 41-12, on Feb. 17, while lacrosse jumped on San Jose State and put them down, 24-9, on Feb. 18.
Lacrosse added to the momentum with two more wins the following week, from Feb. 24-25, with another blowout victory versus Pacific Lutheran University, 30-7, and an 18-12 outcome against the University of Portland.
After many forfeits and weather postponements, rugby finally got their season back up and running. They faced a familiar foe as the Beavers defeated them back on Nov. 11, for the only Wolves loss on the season.

“As a team we’re extremely happy with the outcome. It’s always our biggest game because Oregon State has been our rivals for many years,” said junior back Dominic Akina. “It’s a good feeling beating a DI school, but we had to look at it as another game on our schedule.”
Whenever and against whoever, the team according to Akina, was just relieved to play in full contact again and it showed in the first five minutes of the game. The team created a turnover off a huge defensive play, transitioned that into offense, and off senior back Ryan King’s run, created a gap in the defense that allowed for Akina to score the first try.
Energized afterwards, the game became more physical with big hits throughout. What was supposed to deter the Wolves rather fed them momentum that transferred into try after try.

“Our forwards played really well, made huge stops, and caused game changing turnovers,” said Akina. “With those turnovers, our offense, forwards and backs, moved the ball very well. Our forwards created space for the backs to run the ball.”
With the win, Western’s club is now 5-1 on the season, and will wait a few weeks before playing their next game on March 17 against Southern Oregon University.
Lacrosse faced off with San Jose for their first game of the season on Feb. 18. The team thought it was going to be neck and neck and had a big week of preparation prior. But as they took the field, they became primed and ready. The Wolves rapidly put up four goals before the Spartans could initiate their offense and kept their foot down on the Spartans.
Juniors Andrew Barnett, an attackman, and Alex Eidler, a midfielder, were a common one-two punch in the first half as the duo connected on four goals to add to a first half score of 13-2. The game was over even as Western relentlessly scored more goals, but Western didn’t let loose and the scoring continued into their second game against Pacific Lutheran University.

Western leaped to a 14-1 lead and the Lutes were no match for the Wolves’s offense as they had many shots on goal and made most of them en route to a 30-7 victory. Barnett broke the school record for points (15) with eight goals and seven assists.
Barnett kept it going in the third game against Portland scoring two quick goals but Portland wasn’t the team they faced the day before as the game was tick for tack going into the third quarter at 9-8. But a 10-3 upheaval run by the Wolves ended affairs.
The 3-0 lacrosse team now looks forward to their next game against Central Washington which will be played on March 3. Face off begins at 3 p.m.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis