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There were only a handful of conference matches in Week 5 of the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) regular season, but they were important. And there was still plenty of action across divisions and in non-conference play. The records reflect conference matches only and exclude results against teams from different divisions (with AIC being the exception in DI and Bowdoin in DII), from different member organizations, as well as those that are not eligible for playoffs. [lead photo c/o Tristan Durgin for UNE Athletics]
RELATED: Oct. 2-4 Rugby Results
Dartmouth improved to 2-1 in the DI competition, defeating visiting American International College (1-1) 57-19 in Hanover, N.H. USA U20 Marley Larkin scored four tries, while NorCal’s Vanessa Ortiz-Pallen and junior Eagle Annie Henrich scored two tries apiece. Eagle HS product Jordynn LeBeau also crossed for five points. Henrich also kicked six conversions to lead the team with 22 points overall.
The Big Green have three more games this month against Princeton, Sacred Heart and Brown ahead of playoffs in mid-November. The Yellow Jackets host Brown (1-2) on Saturday. The Bears have four-straight weeks of games this month, including a non-conference match against NCR DI national champion Southern Nazarene University on Oct. 24.
In non-conference play, DI Sacred Heart (0-2) hosted DII Davenport (1-0) and put down a 38-0 win. NorCal sophomore Lily Perez scored three tries, while fellow second-year Delilah Staberg (Summit, Colo.), junior Sam Melvin (Clayton, N.C.), and senior Marley Gurmendi (Superior, Colo.) scored a try apiece. Canadian Hayley Galbraith and sophomore Kiera Thorne (UAE) added two conversions apiece.
Sacred Heart gets the bye this weekend while Davenport hosts DI Lindenwood (2-1) in a non-conference match.
La Salle played Navy’s sub-varsity side to a 50-30 loss. Bailey Borum-Gray and USA U20 Kaylie Castro scored two tries apiece, while Alyssa Williams added a try. Jocelyn Terry kicked a conversion and penalty kick for five points total. The Explorers get a two-week break before returning to the pitch on Oct. 24 against DII West Chester.
DII Frostburg State (1-1) and DIII Bowdoin College (1-1) met in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — home to NCR’s Vassar College — for a conference match Saturday. It was easily the tightest game of the weekend, and the Maryland side rallied for a 20-17 win.
The Polar Bears established the first lead of the game through a Maddy Kosmoski try and Ellie Carter conversion, and retained their edge as Sachi Mehra scored and Carter added another conversion for 14 first-half points. The Bobcats also scored two tries but were unsuccessful in the conversions: 14-10 to Bowdoin into the break.
Carter kicked a penalty to open the second half, and then Frostburg put together two try-scoring campaigns: 20-17 with 15 minutes to play. The score held through regulation, and the Bobcats took the win. Bowdoin earned a bonus point in the loss. It’s the second single-digit decision for the DIII program, which beat West Chester 18-17 the previous weekend.
Frostburg State enters the bye and returns to action Oct. 18 against Long Island University — a game that will occur in Kutztown, Pa., where Sharks head coach Alex Artus has history.
DII West Chester put up 43 unanswered points against DI Mount St. Mary’s before the Mountaineers put back-to-back scores on the board in a 43-14 decision to the Golden Rams. Pennsylvania products Addy LaCarubba (2), Olivia Amman, Evie Staehle, Nina McDowell, Christelle Adikpeto and Ashlyn Wissler scored the tries, and McDowell also added four conversions to lead the team with 13 points.
Both teams head into bye weeks now. West Chester will resume Oct. 18 against Navy, and the Mount travels to Princeton on Oct. 17.
Emory & Henry College hosted a 7s tournament with Guilford, Warren Wilson and Queens University of Charlotte’s sub-varsity side. The Royals (0-2) return to league play this weekend against a visiting Army (1-1), which was idle this past weekend.
And finally, DIII Univ. New England played NCR DIII Colby College of Waterville, Maine, on Friday night. Maeve McNulty, Sarah Daggett, Caroline Rhodes, Tori Demers and Mckenna LaBarge each scored a try in the 25-7 win. The Nor’easters will now host DIII Bowdoin College on the evening of Friday, Oct. 9, to kick off this round’s NCAA varsity matches.
OCT 9-11 SCHEDULE
DIVISION I
Dartmouth @ Princeton
Brown @ AIC
Navy @ Harvard
Army @ Queens
Non-Conference
DI Lindenwood @ DII Davenport
DIII Bowdoin @ New England (Fri)