Kennesaw State has been pretty much guaranteed a spot in the playoffs after defeating North Georgia, 36-10 this past weekend.

The Owls still need to make it past MTSU in order to claim the achievement of an undefeated season; however, MTSU has forfeited every game thus far and is expected to do so again.

Kennesaw State No. 8 Lydia Wood slammed down four tries and made three conversions against North Georgia, making her the top SIRC scorer of the season with 57 points. Flanker Lekelci Dobson and scrumhalf Akilah Guzman also dotted one down.

“It feels really good knowing the program took a hit in 2014 and now we have everything we need to be a successful team,” outside center Brette Abshier said.

However, North Georgia put up a fight on the offensive side of their game play. They created a chaotic first half for Kennesaw by popping the ball off to support after gaining some positive ground by heavy impact. This was North Georgia’s first game due to forfeits and a bye week, and the Nighthawks felt the effect.

“We expected physicality, which we met. We had to strategically place our forwards and backs to reduce running back and forth,” North Georgia president Caroline Tulka said. “They have a whole lot of physical fitness.”

In the past, North Georgia beat Kennesaw State more than losing to them.  A particular challenge the Nighthawks seemed to have with the Owls was making positive tackles against Kennesaw State’s forward motion. Even in the scrums, North Georgia had an issue overpowering Kennesaw State, who won most of the set pieces.

“They have absolutely stepped up their program and stepped up their game,” Tulka said.

Guzman was a main factor in the Owls’ success due to her communication on defense. She was able to quickly identify overloads and pull players over fast enough to cover the open area. The players keyed into her voice and looked to her to educate them as to what was happening throughout the field.

The Kennesaw State defense waivered just enough to allow North Georgia fullback Danika Faison and flanker Amanda Stover room to push through and score. However, the Owls hunger for playoffs kept them sprinting past their opposition.

“The girls are really receptive to fitness training, and it’s something our coaches are focusing on,” Abshier said. “They motivate us to focus on fitness so we can have fun during the games instead of being out of breath.”

Next up on North Georgia’s plate is Lee University, and Tulka believes the Nighthawks’ performance will greatly improve now that the team has a game under their belt.