Who gets into the Cascade Collegiate Women's Rugby Conference comes down to the final weekend of conference play.

Western Washington faces off with Eastern Washington in the game that decides it all. Currently, EWU sits atop the conference with a 4-0 record and a +178 points difference. Eastern has not given up a point all season, including their crucial 7-0 blanking of Western Oregon last Halloween. That loss is the only blemish on WOU's record - the Wolves have a bye this week as they finished their league play last week with a 66-20 defeat of Reed.

For WOU, they are 1-1 in those super-crucial games, as the Wolves downed the upstart Western Washington squad 22-15 February 6. That, so far, has been Western's only loss all season. Working under new coach Marion Foor, who was a standout U19 and later women's club play with the Budd Bay club in Olympia, Wash., Foor has turned the Vikings into a conference contender, and the climax is hosting the Eagles.

All smiles for a much-improved Western Washington.

A Western Washington victory would put WWU, WOU, and EWU tied at 4-1, and it would all come down to points difference. That's where we've got issues, as Eastern was given no points (so far) for a forfeit win. Depending on the league's forfeit score (which we are trying to confirm), EWU could bypass WWU on points difference, thus making a tie good news for Eastern.

As for Western, Foor took over in the fall and turned their fortunes around. The Western team had been player-coached, but Foor, who has been involved in the game since 2002, started to teach some finer points of rucking and game play, and the results have been good.

"One issue we have is lack of size in the pack, and that's why Western Oregon beat us, because they have some big forwards who are tough to tackle," said Foor. "But they've learned so much and come so far. Of course we want to be in the final, but I'm also really happy with how the team has developed."

No. 8/center Sydney Gildersleeve has been a nice addition since January, and she's a ferocious runner. Prop Riley Jewett-Chan is a powerful prop who gives her team some of that intimidation factor. But WWU will be without tiny tackling machine Michaela Paeth at fullback. She is unavailable for this weekend. Despite her size, Paeth tackles pretty much anyone who comes her way, and she's a big part of Western's success. "She will be missed," said Foor. 

Latest unofficial CCWRC Standings