By Brent MacDonald
To be the best, oftentimes it is necessary to beat the best. The UCSB Men’s Rugby team is currently the top-ranked team in its league, and the upcoming game against University of San Diego will provide another team with a chance to challenge the Gauchos.
“Every team is trying to beat us,” junior tight-head prop Stephan Salimi said. “They think if they can take us down they have a shot at winning our division.”
The UCSB Men’s Rugby team is a Division 1 Collegiate League team, and a part of the Southern California Conference (SCC). Other teams in the SCC include UC Irvine, University of Southern California, University of San Diego, and Loyola-Marymount University.
UCSB’s top-ranked success in the league comes from its past two victories in conference play, and its rigorous preseason schedule. The Gauchos have beaten both UCI and LMU in its first two official league games. UCSB played seven games in the pre-season, including then-4th ranked University of Utah and the United States Under-20 National Team, a squad compiled of the best players in the
US under twenty years of age.
“We had a pretty rough pre-season,” senior flanker Mitchell Raisch said. “We got pretty highly ranked because of it.”
The Gauchos are currently ranked fourth in the nation, and Raisch knows that to keep this ranking throughout the season, the team must utilize its strengths from both last season, and the past few games.
“We have a really big, strong forward pack,” Raisch said. “Our weaknesses have always been staying focused…I think if we reiterate what we’ve learned in practice we’ll be alright.”
Only a few practices remain before UCSB travels south for a match against University of San Diego. USD is currently 1-2 on the season, having lost games to both BYU and Claremont. The sole conference game for USD was a win against USC, 58-5. The UCSB team has already beaten USD during the pre-season when the Gauchos paired with the Academy team, made up of Santa Barbara City College students.
After losing once to UCSB already, USD will try to use the experience as motivation for the game this weekend.
“It’s gonna be one of our most physical games for sure,” Salimi said.
UCSB will play against USD this Saturday at noon at the University of San Diego. USD is currently second-ranked in the SCC behind the Gauchos, and the game will offer an opportunity for either team to prove itself worthy of a first-place conference ranking.
“They’re a good team, and we’re a good team,” Raisch said. “If we come out victorious we’ll have a pretty solid grasp on the league.”
