By
Jeff Lund
Arizona Daily Wildcat
For the UA rugby team, a season filled with promise turned into disappointment as the defending champions failed to reach the postseason.
After starting the season 6-0, the ruggers were just where they thought they would be. Arizona began the new year with an impressive victory over Arizona State and a shut out over UC San Diego.
Then the preseason favorites took a road trip to California.
Depleted by injuries, the ruggers dropped two games to put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.
A bruised Wildcat team dropped matches to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 24-5 and UC Santa Barbara 27-17.
Teetering on the edge of postseason elimination, Arizona refocused and took on rival San Diego State.
UA was up to the challenge and beat the Aztecs. The rejuvenated ruggers then set a scoring record against San Diego winning 96-0, and reestablished themselves as one of the elite teams in the league.
Following the record-setting victory, the ruggers and their rediscovered confidence looked ready to make a run for the playoffs.
Arizona then took to the road again, and ran over the UCLA Bruins to keep pace with playoff-bound teams. But against Long Beach State, a last second try shattered UA's hopes for the playoffs.
Playing just for pride, UA took on two of the nation's top teams in the Memorial Invitational in Tucson. Like much of the season, the weekend was up and down for Arizona. After beating playoff-bound Sacramento State 32-13, the Cats lost to undefeated Ohio State, 22-10.
The Wildcats and Buckeyes were tied at 10 in the second half, but the Buckeyes escaped with a win in a game that was a lot closer than the final score indicated.
Head coach Dave Sitton said that despite living up to preseason expectations for only half of the season, he is pleased with the direction and state of the program.
"I am grateful for the fact that our players have built a tradition so that a 10-4 record is unacceptable," Sitton said following the loss to Ohio State.
The UA ruggers will spend the summer participating in numerous seven-man rugby tournaments as the team prepares for next year's campaign.
