The Penn State men's rugby team made a statement this past weekend, even with the luck of the Irish on its opponent's sideline.

At the 25th Annual St. Patrick's Day Tournament in Washington, D.C., the No. 2 Ruggers (12-3, 5-0 MARFU) found more than a pot of gold as they soundly defeated the Washington Irish, 28-5 and 17-15, in two friendly matches on Saturday.

"It was a really good day for us," head coach Don Ferrell said. "We played a top squad and really dominated. It was the perfect warm-up match -- they put a good side on the field, and we responded."

In its fifth consecutive road match of the semester, Penn State avoided a third straight loss by imposing its will on the Irish, a Division II Super League team.

Without starters Tim Ryland and Matt Price, who were competing overseas, the Ruggers used a perfect mix of defensive intensity and offensive pressure to dominate the opening contest.

"We shook off the rust early and had one of our better performances of the year," Ferrell said.

The second meeting saw much of the same from Penn State. Although the score was much closer, balance on both sides of the ball paved the way for another victory and ensured that the Ruggers would end the regular season with momentum on their side.

"It was good competition for us -- physical and hard-fought," scrumhalf Mike Petri said. "[The Irish] are a good indicator of what type of teams we will meet in the playoffs. This was a real confidence boost to go into the postseason with a win."

Penn State enters the playoffs with a 3-3 record this semester, a far cry from its unblemished 9-0 mark during the fall.

This dent in the squad's previous aura of invincibility can be traced to the absence of several key starters. Since returning to action in mid-February, the Ruggers have suffered through injuries that have prevented them from fielding their full first team at one time.

However, the squad's success against the Irish this past weekend has raised everyone's hopes.

"The fact that we have been able to compete against a Super League team and some of the top sides in the country, without key players, shows that we have guys who can step up and perform well whenever they are called upon," Petri said. "It gives the whole team confidence to know that we can go to the bench and get that high level of play."

Penn State will kick off the postseason when it hosts the Princeton Tigers in the first round of the Mid Atlantic Rugby Football Union playoffs next Saturday. The meeting will mark the first home match for the Ruggers since a 70-0 victory over George Mason on Oct. 29.

Last season, a first-round victory over the University of Virginia sparked Penn State on a run to capture the MARFU Championship. A similar victory over Princeton could do the same for a squad that is hitting its stride with perfect timing.

"I feel that we have peaked a little early at some points in the past. Earlier in the year, we were holding still," fly-half Justin Hundley said. "But right now, we are on the road to peak at the right time."