This Weekend and Beyond

Radcliffe's first playoff match will begin on tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. on the fields behind the Stadium against Vermont. If the Black and White wins, it will face the winner of BC-Yale on Sunday afternoon.

Although scouting reports on Vermont remain sketchy, since neither Radcliffe nor any of its competitors played the Wildcats this season, Gartner expressed confidence in her team.

"We have an excellent chance," the coach said upon reflection. "We've always had a strong set of forwards, with Patty and Sarah having so much experience up front, but this year the backs are really good, too. If the team plays like it has been, I think we're in good shape."

Seo echoed the sentiment.

"This is our chance to move up another level," the Eliot senior said. "Everyone is confident, but not overly so. We just have to play our game and be aggressive."

If the team wins, it can look forward to the Northern Territorial Championship, and beyond it, the national championship. The process is a long, drawn-out one, spilling over into the spring season, but the Ruggers would be happy to go through it.

These are veterans, after all, people who have slogged through mud and rain, and so much else, to experience sweet victory. They did it last weekend, and one gets the definite sense that they remain hungry for more.