Despite Virginia's solid defensive line, the Penn State Lady Ruggers came out on top once again, defeating the Cavaliers 12-8 in a close match at the Mason Dixon Tournament in Annapolis on Sunday.

After a 68-0 shutout win against American last weekend, the Lady Ruggers went into Sunday's match confident but nervous since Virginia was previously undefeated.

Although Penn State spent a majority of the first half in Cavalier territory, the Lady Ruggers' offense had trouble breaking Virginia's defensive line. The Lady Ruggers offense put up a fight, but the Cavaliers managed to drive hard and scored a try and penalty.

"We played with the wind at our backs, but we did not play well," Penn State coach Pete Steinburg said. "We turned around at halftime down 8-0. It looked pretty bleak."

At the beginning of the second half, Kate Daley got the Lady Ruggers back into the game by scoring the first try with a kick tap penalty and a sprint across the tryline.

"Even though I put points on the board, I knew that we could win even after UVA scored its first try," Daley said. "We weren't really playing as a team. We were playing more as individuals. We were also a little frantic but overall our team was still pretty calm."

For most of the second half, the Cavaliers resided in Lady Ruggers' territory and continued to pressure the defense. The Lady Ruggers held off the Cavaliers and with minutes left on the clock, Daley scored the second and final try off a stolen lineout, making the final score 12-8.

"As a whole, we were excited that we were able to come back because we're not usually a team that comes back from behind," Daley said. "It really showed us that we could be down for most of the game and still come back to win. Most people were pretty disappointed with the first half. This game also showed our team that we aren't necessarily the best team, but we have the ability to become great."

With five starters injured and unable to compete, Steinburg was pleased with the way the team came back from being down.

"It was a great demonstration of character," Steinburg said. "We are just very injured right now from previous games. It was positive that we won the Mason Dixie tournament since there were six of the best teams on the East Coast competing."

In the next two weeks, the Lady Ruggers will be preparing for their last home match against Navy. Along with Daley's goal of improving team cohesion, captain Diana Klein thought this game can be used for more than just another tally for victories.

"This game helped to point out what we really need to focus on in upcoming practices," Klein said.