The Minnesota girsl team is 2-0 at the Midwest Rugby Challenge, and in getting there, upended longtime nemesis Ohio 19-17.

That means that the Tundra will take on Wisconsin, also 2-0, in the championship game Sunday in Elkhart, Ind.

Minnesota shook off the 11-hour bus ride to power past a solid Indiana team 56-0. Armstrong speedster Renee Gonzalez raced in for several tries in that game, while Kristin Tanner directed player superbly from flyhalf.

Things were a lot tougher in the second game, as expected, but Minnesota did enough to win 19-17.

"We were able this year to bring the best team we could bring," said Head Coach Jimmy Hanson. "That was the difference. We've got a very young team, but they've been together off and on since August and they've built relationships."

Hanson shuffled his lineup to get some top players on the field and it worked. Hopkins star Elisha Fromstein was moved from scrumhalf to  center and played as if she's been there all along. Andrea Sanabria, also of Hopkins, was shifted from center to flanker and excelled on defense. Orono center Maureen Booth was moved to the wing, and shut down Ohio's vaunted perimeter attack.

"The girsl are very excited and we celebrated a little bit, but we're not done yet," said Hanson, who has seen his team finish second far too often. "We've got a final to play.

And they will play Wisconsin, which crushed Michigan 98-10 before getting by Illinois 22-5. 

Head Coach Jeff Noe tried to rest players but up front still relied on hooker Alexa Jaeger (Catholic Memorial), Lock Erika Baus (Mukwonago), flanker Reina Anderson (Wauwatosa East), and No. 8 Caelee Whiteaker (Kettle Moraine) to carry the load up front through two games. 

The hafback combo of Meaghan Schmitt (Catholic Memorial) and Lindsay Hillmer (Kettle Moraine) ran the show throughout the day, while CatholicMemorial's Liz Bellis played one game at center and one at prop.

The teams will face off for the championship at 2pm Central Time Sunday.