Photo courtesy Notre Dame Women’s Rugby (full caption below)
Four games into its eighth season, the University of Notre Dame women’s rugby team celebrated its 100th program win after defeating Michigan State 71-17 in Big 10 action.
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“We started like almost every other team years ago, a bunch of random students trying to get 15 on the field and learn the game of rugby,” Notre Dame coach Ricardo Ramirez said. “The 100th win is more than a record, it’s a sign that the players who came before this team built something good and it continued to grow and develop into a program.”
Behind the coaching duo of Kate Daley and Ricardo Ramirez, the Irish advanced to the 2011 USA Rugby DII College National Championship. Seventeen players lined up against Harvard in the final, and the Crimson triumphed 22-10. The Irish only looked forward and immediately followed that benchmark with another one: promotion into Division I.
Daley stayed on as head coach until the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup beckoned, and after captaining the Eagles in France, joined the coaching staff at her alma mater, Penn State, where she serves as head coach today. Ramirez has been Notre Dame’s head coach ever since and now oversees a team that draws close to 40 players regularly. Overall, Notre Dame is 100-27.
As for the 100th win itself, the game evolved with little fanfare, as Ramirez only informed the president of the potential significance. And good thing, because Michigan State made a game of it during the first half of the Big 10 league match. The Irish carried a 24-12 halftime lead before pulling away. Emma Shimek scored 36 points on four tries and eight conversions; Sophie Asah (3) and Grace McGurn (2) touched down multiple times; and Kathleen O’Brien and Estephany Tan scored one try apiece.
When I told the them [about the 100th win], there was a slight delay before people reacted. Overall, they seemed shocked,” Ramirez recalled the players’ post-game reaction. “We don’t talk about winning as much as playing to their potential, and being happy with the individual performance and team performance while having some fun.
“Like many teams do, we talk about leaving a legacy and building upon it,” the coach added “Lots of alumni contacted me remembering the start with 14 players and always being the underdog because we were new and had so few numbers.”
Things have certainly changed since then, and Notre Dame is a favorite to advance to the Big 10 championship, which will be held November 11 at Bend, Ind., against the east pool winner. The DI fall playoffs continue through November and peak during the first weekend in December. Notre Dame has not competed in a DI fall final, a new benchmark to chase as the counter ticks over.
Lead photo caption:
Senior leadership help lead the Irish to its 100th victory. The senior class includes: (front row) Kaela Crowley, Rachael Shey, Lauren Burnett, Melina Valencia (second row) Baylee Matison, Sarah Cokingtin, Lilli Cronin, Sophie Asah, Grace McGurn. (Not pictured) Kate Blackman, Kaitlin Ryczek.