After their impressive 50-14 win over Princeton two weeks ago, Penn State's Lady Ruggers were ranked No. 1 in the nation. Carrying the top ranking into this weekend's game, the team was ready to take on eighth-ranked West Chester on the road.

Both teams carried unbeaten records into the match.

In what proved to be a physical, challenging game, the Lions prevailed, 3-0 Saturday.

"We didn't play our best game," captain Amber Benlian said. "Yet we have to look positively at the fact that they didn't score on us."

Benlian credited the hard work of the defense for keeping West Chester scoreless throughout the game.

"The game was very physical, and we had to work hard on defense," she said.

Penn State showed this physical strength on the tackles.

"We got our hands on the ball and were able to get turnovers," assistant coach Jim Mathias said.

The lone score for the Ruggers came midway through the first half on Emily Donaldson's penalty kick. Last game, Penn State's offense was its strongest asset, recording 50 points against Princeton.

"Our offense had moments of good play but we were never able to string anything together," Benlian said.

Once the offense was able to move the ball down the field, penalties and turnovers often halted the Lions' drives.

The high winds at game time also played a factor.

When the ball was kicked, the winds were able to pin the ball deep in the other team's territory. This strategy was helpful to jump-start the Lions stalled offense.

When West Chester had the ball, the help of the wind also proved to put pressure on the Lion's defense by putting the ball deep in Penn State's zone.

"They were very strong around the rucks and breakdowns, and we didn't adapt well and exploit their weaknesses," Shelley White said.

Penalties not only stalled the Lion's offense but also helped advance West Chester's offensive threat. West Chester's women's rugby is a varsity sport at its university, yet Penn State's women's rugby is a club-level sport.

"West Chester is a good team and well-coached. They've been a varsity program for two years and are certainly getting the athletes, and with good coaching, they are a team to be reckoned with down the line," Mathias said.

Despite West Chester's varsity sport status, after the final whistle blew, Penn State had the win and its unbeaten record still intact.

Next week the Lions travel to Annapolis, Md., for the North vs. South game to conclude their season. Six teams from the East Coast will face off, five of which are ranked in the nation's top ten. Penn State will be seeded first in the North division and will play the winner of the Navy-Virginia game played this past weekend.

"It will be a nice matchup and good way to end the season," Mathias said.