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Steamboat Springs — Shortened season or not, the Steamboat Springs Rugby Club has the opportunity Saturday to put another big check on its to-do list.

Steamboat and Breckenridge play at 2 p.m. Saturday at Whistler Field to decide the 2009 Mountain League Championship.

In a season shortened by scheduling conflicts, Steamboat will have a chance to win its second league title in three years - something the team set as a goal before the start of the season.

"We'll be pretty close to full strength against Breckenridge," Steamboat captain and player Michael Hurley said. "Breckenridge is certainly a team that has stepped up the most. They've got a big squad and great coach in Peter Clark and are fit and hungry."

The two teams met in early June in Breckenridge and played to a tie. The conditions weren't the best, as cold wind and drizzling rain dotted the playing field.

Steamboat had leads of 6-5, 11-6 and 18-15 throughout the game, but a late Breckenridge penalty kick knotted the game at 18.

Hurley said he felt Steamboat let the game get away, something he doesn't plan on happening Saturday.

"It comes down to defense and playing really good structured rugby," he said. "We can score points and can score tries. If we keep the tries and the points down from their point of view, we should be good. It'll be a tough game, but it's one I'm looking forward to as are the rest of the boys."

Steamboat's defense has been superb as of late. In the team's Cow Pie Classic win, Steamboat outscored its opponents, 75-0, to win its third consecutive Cow Pie. Combine that momentum with the fact the first time the two teams played, Steamboat ran out an inexperienced club, and Hurley said he's confident another Mountain League crown is on its way to Steamboat.

"They think they are ready to take our mantle away from us," he said about Breckenridge. "We're going to make sure it's going to be another season before they can do that."