HENNICKER, N.H. – The Castleton women's rugby team kicked off their season in dominant fashion, cruising to consecutive 17-0 victories to earn the 2-0 decision over the Pilgrims Sunday afternoon.
 
It was Aubrey Tetlow who opened up the scoring for the Spartans (1-0) in the afternoon's first game. Despite going nearly two years since her last collegiate game, the junior looked sharp, taking just 30 seconds to give her team a 7-0 lead after Haley Conway converted on the kick.
 
After a few minutes of scoreless rugby, Castleton's Hannah Coupas earned her first career try off an NEC turnover to push the lead to 12. The half would end with Tetlow's second try of the day, this time coming off an NEC (0-1) turnover out of a scrum that would put the Spartans up 17-0 and seal the Game 1 win.
 
The afternoon's second match got off to an equally fast start for the Spartans, as Coupas struck again three minutes into the game to give Castleton a 5-0 advantage. Castleton would extend their lead with a minute to go in the first half off a Tovah Coe try — her first of the season — that came after a pass from Saidi St. Andrews sent the sophomore on a breakaway.
 
A Tetlow try to open up the second half would put the Spartans up 17-0 for the second straight game and lead Castleton to the clean sweep to open up the year. This was the first time in program history the Spartans did not give up a single point to the opponent over the course of the weekend, with their 34 combined points representing the second most scored over a two-game span in program history.
 
Castleton will look to carry this momentum into next week's home-opener, as they host Manhattanville College Sunday, Sept. 19, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.