The University of Wisconsin Whitewater defeated UW-Stout 44-10 Sunday to win the Wisconsin-Illinois Intercollegiate League.

The Warhawks, ranked #2 in the nation by Goff Rugby Report, were averaging around 100 points a game going into this weekend, and defeated UW-Lacrosse Saturday in the semis.

“This was an intense game,” said UW-Whitewater club president Joe Grams. “Stout was excited to be in the championship game and they brought it to us. So we needed to be more intense.”

Whitewater scored three tries in the first 20 minutes and kept up the pressure.

“It was pretty windy, so our backs didn’t get the best ball,” said Grams. “It was kind of a forward-dominated game.”

So Whitewater pounded with the forwards and while they didn’t run up the massive scores they have in the past. But they controlled the game nonetheless.

“All around it was a good team effort, and while we left a few points out there, I think we played an excellent game,” said Grams. “We made a few silly mistakes, but it was a good game.”

Hooker Jake Gresbach had one of his best games for the Warhawks on Sunday, while No. 8 Skip Grinnell and flyhalf Jack Healy were solid.

Whitewater now faces either UMass-Lowell or Bentley in the national Round of 16 November 22. In the other side of their bracket is Vermont and the Upstate NY champions, yet to be determined.

UW-Stout isn’t out of it, as they have a date with Northern Iowa to see who gets to play St. Louis University. In that bracket GRR #1 Minnesota-Duluth will face either Louisiana Tech or Colorado College.