Saturday was a high stakes day in Albuquerque, N.M. The Southwest regional championship was to name its representatives to the DI and DII spring final four by day’s end. The division II teams received a bye through the Round of 16, so the berth to the spring semifinals rested on one game between UC Riverside and Texas State.

Leading up to the elimination match, the Southern California side wasn’t hampered by the pressure.

“The girls were so excited just to be walking that part of the earth for a rugby tournament,” UC Riverside coach Roger Light said. “The Friday training session was awesome – everything clicked, everything worked. We left that training thinking the next day was going to be a great day.”

And that’s exactly how the quarterfinal match began. Riverside surprised Texas State and punched in a couple of tries quickly.

“Then they made adjustments, which is really uncommon,” Light said. “Most teams play one way, and it either works or it doesn’t. If you’re not winning, then you try harder, but nothing really changes.

“They had size on us, so they tried to run straight at us,” Light explained. “And they weren’t getting through. So they started being more deceptive – bringing girls in, and then dumping it off, and then using a little bit of speed and strength to get through our line.”

Flankers Alysia Jones and Faviola Vega were at the epicenter of Riverside’s defense, and their work paid off in the long run, when Texas State started to make a comeback. After 20 minutes, the teams began trading tries.

“We had to adjust to them, too, and started working it to the outside,” Light said. “We had to be creative to get through them because we were matching each other pretty well at that point.”

Riverside was able to enforce its game plan a little better than Texas State, using quick-ruck phase play to build overloads out wide, where speedy attackers like fullback Michelle Hong could capitalize. Wong was equally important on defense, as Texas State actually outscored Riverside in the second half. The Californians had built a healthy lead in the first 40, and Hong's try-saving tackles helped her side retain the lead.

“They played well,” Light said. “We’ve had other games where everything just clicked; this one didn’t just click. They had to work every single play of the game. We even played short for a while, but Texas State did not get the chance to capitalize on it. We actually scored because the girls were so hyped up about it.”

Riverside finished with a 45-29 win.

“It was indescribable,” Light remembered that whistle-ending moment. “It’s been a surreal experience. The girls made this their goal before the season started, and it seemed like an impossible task. But to get to this point, they are absolutely on cloud nine.”

Riverside is back in California, getting some rest, fundraising for the trip to Pittsburgh, and eying Mid-Atlantic champ Salisbury, its semifinal opponent. The team will hit the practice pitch for some tune-ups, but don’t expect any major revamps.

“Don’t forget what got you to where you are,” Light quoted his old college coach. “Meaning, don’t try to change too much. Go in there and do what you do best. The plan for this week: Make sure everything is smooth.”

The DI and DII spring final four occurs April 24-26 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The spring champions will play the fall champions – DI’s Penn State and DII’s Notre Dame College – on May 9 at Kennesaw State, Ga.

Check out more great photos from the Southwest championship.

Click here for the full DI and DII spring playoff outcomes.

What happened in the fall? Revisit the brackets.