Late Saturday morning, two battered and bruised women's rugby sides took to the pitch in Tempe, Arizona to wearily close out their seasons. After a hard-fought 80 minutes, the University of California-San Diego Tritons earned a breakeven record with a 12-15 defeat at the hands of the Arizona State University Sun Devils.

With the loss, the La Jolla side finished 3-3 in Southern California Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) play, while ASU earned a 2-3-1 tally for the season.

Both sides limped into battle with many of their starters sidelined. The Tritons' No. 8 Jill Duggan and lock Kirstin ("Kiki") Hartos were benched as the result of injuries sustained in a February 26 contest against UC-Santa Barbara. They were joined by flyhalf Marea Blue and lock Andrea Chan on the disabled list. The resulting shuffling of the lineup especially strained the Tritons' backs.

"Marea will need surgery for torn knee ligaments," said UCSD head coach Carla Smith. "Kiki was our backup flyhalf, so when both went down (Hartos separated her shoulder in the UC-Santa Barbara match), our backline was essentially all new."

If things were bad for the Tritons on the injury front, it was even worse for the Sun Devils. ASU lost a truckload of players this season.

"In my 46 years of coaching-- men and women both -- I've not seen a season plagued by so many injuries," said ASU head coach Barry Carter who, at one point, counted 11 on his disabled list. "Some have returned to play, but even so, the side's still not up to its full match standard."

The match's early going was a back-and-forth affair. The game broke open, however, when ASU capitalized upon a Triton tactical error. The Sun Devils put five points on the board when lock Jill Shobin ran for a try in the seventh minute after a UCSD wing's downing of the ball in the ASU in-goal area.

"It was one of the many inexperienced mistakes we made on the day," said Smith. "We actually have worked on this in practice. The same thing happened in our match at UC-Santa Barbara."

ASU's flyhalf, Callie Pisel, then successfully converted for two additional points, bringing the score to 7-0.

In response, the Tritons pressed continuous attacks, crashing towards their tryline, but the spirited ASU defense kept them in check until the 28th minute. UCSD's outside center, Julia Anderson, then found daylight and scampered between the posts for an answerback try. Fullback Hailee Lanker converted to tie the score at 7-7.

Balls frequently went for touch, both strategically and accidentally, from both sides. ASU won virtually all the lineouts--both theirs and the Tritons' -- as the UCSD side struggled with their untested assemblage.

"Andrea Chan, our jumper, tore a ligament early this season, and with Jill Duggan, our thrower, now out with injuries of her own, our backup jumper Emily Ogata moved out of position, and Kiki Hartos, our lifter, out, we definitely suffered," said Smith.

The second half started off pretty much a carbon copy of the first. Then, in the game's 46th minute, ASU was awarded a penalty kick close enough to allow flyhalf Calli Pisel to go for post. ASU, as a result, pulled ahead 10-7.

UCSD followed with a drive for the tryline by scrumhalf Alex Volens, but was stopped short in the face of a formidable Sun Devil defense. In the 53rd minute, ASU's scrumhalf Katie Wright took a turn of her own, crashing through the Triton line for a try in her left corner. The score stood at 15-7 after a conversion attempt by Calli Pisel fell short.

UCSD then mounted a tap-and-go offense anchored by inside center Monica Zigler. Scooping up a ball from scrum, Triton eightman Lauren Fanucchi darted unopposed for forty meters and a try in the 59th minute. The unsuccessful conversion attempt by Hailee Lanker left the score 12-15 in ASU's favor.

"We had five scoring opportunities with the ball five meters outside of the try line, but we just couldn't score," said Smith. "That was our problem at ASU.

"Losing our leaders this year to international travel, and then injuries, certainly kept the team from effectively coalescing. Still, we were in every game this year and had every opportunity to win. We were only three points from winning our two last matches.

Added ASU's Carter of his own estimation of the Triton side, "UCSD is a team of which you must always be wary. They are well-coached and an enthusiastic group."

For his part, Carter said he's looking forward to next season.

"Hopefully, surgeries will have been successful, spirits maintained and talented athletes recruited for the 2006-07 collegiate season," he said.

And the Tritons?

"Losing can be a great off-season motivator," noted Smith. "I'm expecting a different attitude on the team next year. Any complacency will certainly be gone.

"On the positive side," she added, "is the fact that our young players got a lot of experience this year. With 11 starters returning next season, I think we will be well set up."

SCRFU Division I Collegiate Women
Teams	Won	Lost	Tied	Points For	Points Against	Difference
UCSB	5	0	0	159	34	125
UCSD	3	3	0	118	78	40
ASU	2	3	1	57	104	-47
UCLA	0	4	1	17	135	-118