Feb. 24, 2007

DAVIS, CA - Eleven Golden Bears got into the scoring column on Saturday as California galloped to a 14-try shutout victory over UC Davis. Freshman winger Dustin Muhn scored three tries and freshman flanker Tom Rooke and sophomore center Dustin Watson both scored twice as the Bears stayed unbeaten with yet another different starting lineup.

Cal ensured there would be no slip-up in local play prior to next weekend's doubleheader on Witter Rugby Field, where the Bears play Sacramento State at 11 a.m. followed by a match against Old Mission Beach Athletic Club at 1 p.m. With several players taking a breather between last week's clash with UBC and next week's fixtures, today's Varsity XV leapt at their opportunity to shine through ominous conditions against the Aggies. The rain held off, but the Bears poured it on.

"We came out knowing we have a lot to prove and that we're responsible for a lot as well," said match-day captain Ross Biestman, whose high work rate against Davis kept him constantly at the point of attack. "The backs really carried us for the first 40 minutes. They hit some gaps well and got to the outside. In the scrum, it took us until halftime to really get organized."

As the forwards took some time to coalesce, Cal's backs were far too much for the Aggies to handle, contributing five of Cal's seven first-half scores. With plenty of speed on the wing, Dustin Muhn added a side step here and a cutback there to barely be touched by the defense. Muhn's 50-meter blaze for his first try was followed by a 30-meter burst later in the first half. A second-half dip-and-dive from inside the 22 gave Muhn his third score.

"I feel more and more comfortable having played a couple of games with the guys," said the freshman from Morgan Hill. "I'm getting to know the systems and how the team plays together."

Rather than relent after building a 43-0 halftime lead, the Bears upped the ante with another 45 points in the second stanza. Flyhalf Keegan Engelbrecht, returning from injury, came on for the second half and directed traffic well, calling his own number to score a try five minutes after joining the action. The sophomore from Flower Mound, Texas, was also 5-for-7 on conversion kicks.

"Some of our younger players took a step in their development today," said coach Tom Billups.

The table has now been set for an exciting itinerary next weekend, as another local battle against the Hornets from Sacramento State will precede Cal's underdog matchup with Old Mission Beach Athletic Club, the 2006 Rugby Super League champion. With its razor-sharp lineup replete with National Team experience, OMBAC will offer a unique challenge to the collegians from Berkeley.

The Scoring Timeline vs. UC Davis:

05:00 Tom Rooke 5

07:00 Ryan Miller 5

16:00 Dustin Muhn 5, Zak Triplett 2

19:00 David Poettcker 5, Zak Triplett 2

24:00 Colin Hawley 5, Zak Triplett 2

30:00 Dustin Muhn 5

40:00 Paul Jesseman 5, Zak Triplett 2

Half Time: California 43, UC Davis 0

45:00 Keegan Engelbrecht 5, 2

48:00 Ross Biestman 5, Keegan Engelbrecht 2

52:00 Dustin Muhn 5,

58:00 Tom Rooke 5

73:00 Dustin Watson 5, Keegan Engelbrecht 2

76:00 Eduardo Lopez 5, Keegan Engelbrecht 2

80:00 Dustin Watson 5, Keegan Engelbrecht 2

Final Score: California 88, UC Davis 0

The Team vs. UC Davis:

15.Gallinger, 14. Muhn, 13. Hawley, 12. D. Watson 11. Miller (Lopez @ 40:00), 10. Poettcker (Engelbrecht @ 40:00), 9. Triplett (L. Yancey @ 58:00), 1. Estrella (Besser @ 75:00), 2. Kuhns, 3. J. Barrett, 4. Strong, 5. Jesseman (Vaught @ 40:00), 6. Rooke, 7. Biestman © (Reed @ 54:00) , 8. Balough (Sehr @ 54:00)