If the first step is the most important, then the Penn State women's rugby team is off to a running start.

In their first playoff game of the spring season, the Lady Ruggers routed the Delaware Blue Hens 54-3 by relying on basics and dominating ball possession and tempo.

"It was a great game for us," head coach Pete Steinberg said. "We played very well today."

Back Leah Ackerman led the Lady Ruggers with three trys and setting up a fourth. With the final minutes of the first half ticking down, flyhalf Meg O'Melia unleashed a booming clear out kick deep into the offensive zone.

As a Blue Hen collected the ball and attempted a clear out of her own, Ackerman streaked down the field towards the player. She blocked the kick then tackled the Delaware player, pinning the Blue Hens deep in the zone and setting up a scrum. After a false start, Penn State won the ensuing scrum, quickly followed by scrumhalf Kelly Evanovich punching into the tryzone for a score just as the half expired.

Other scorers for the Lady Ruggers were O'Melia and second-rower Stacey Jones with a pair each, forwards Heather Kantorek and Alena Kolarsky and flanker Devon Boyle.

O'Melia also made two conversion kicks on the windswept field. Her play was a focus of the game, with starting flyhalf Emma Holland out with a broken arm. Holland said she is hopeful to be back within three weeks.

"She (O'Melia) just did great," team captain Claudia Knudsen said. "Even some of my passes to her weren't all that great, she made all of them clean despite the wind."

The Lady Ruggers capitalized on the weather in the first half. With the wind in their favor, they scored 39 unanswered points in the first 40-minute frame. Fundamental possession play by the Lady Ruggers dominated the second half as the team also rotated in substitute players.

All game Penn State relied on short quick passes and running for ball movement. While in contact, the Lady Ruggers swarmed near the ball and communicated well to keep possession. Also by dominating in lineouts and holding their own in scrums, the Lady Ruggers gave up only a handful of turnovers.

The big win sets up the team well for next weekend's Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union Final Four tournament at Princeton University in New Jersey. The MARFU matches are a prelude to the national tournament that begins with the Sweet Sixteens in April.

"It'll be tougher next weekend, but we got off to a good start today," Steinberg said.

Added Ackerman, "Today I think we proved to ourselves that we're ready for that next level."