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The U.S. Naval Academy banked its first National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) win of the season in dramatic fashion, holding off the visiting Lindenwood University Lions in referee’s time to secure an 18-15 victory. It was one of several dramatic matches in week four of the NCAA varsity competition, which keeps delivering on entertaining rugby. [lead photo: Long Island University also won a single-digit game / Jackie Finlan]
Lindenwood traveled to Annapolis, Md., for a double-header weekend against Navy on Friday and then Brown University on Sunday. The runout also marked Navy’s first home game of the season, and the Midshipmen opened up the scoring near the first-quarter mark, when Mia Young’s kick-pass found Natalie Peugeot for the try. In the waning minutes of the half, the Lions’ He’Lena Dou’Ble evened it up with a try: 5-5 into the break.
Navy put down the first-two tries of the second — the first coming from Peugeot from close range, and the second from Caroline Shegogue during a yellow-card advantage: 15-5 to the home team. At minute 62, Lindenwood’s Lille Merlow closed the gap to 15-10 with a try. Shortly after the restart, an Aleksandria Gabbard line-break drew another penalty inside the Lions’ 22, and Peugeot lined up the kick for the three points: 18-10.
Lindenwood kept pressuring and matched Navy’s try count in minute 70, sending freshman Ella Elordi into the try zone: 18-15 to Navy. The Lions were looking for one more score, and as regulation elapsed, were attacking on the Midshipmen’s five meter. But the hometown defense prevailed and Navy secured the win.
“We played so well defensively the whole game,” Navy head coach Murph McCarthy told Navy Athletics. “That’s as close as you can get. Lindenwood was maybe six inches from the try line, but our defense, like it had the whole game, held up strong.”
“That’s one of the better teams that we will play this season,” he added. “We just built on the lessons learned the last two weeks, and the team brought it all to the table today for 80 minutes. What an effort. I couldn’t be prouder of the team.”
Navy then followed with a B-side game against Mount St. Mary’s University and won 25-0. After a day’s rest, Lindenwood retook Prusmack Rugby Center’s pitch and shut out visiting Brown University 64-0. Ava Reuter (2), Mia Saige Topasna (2), Gabby Bryant (2), Dou’Ble, Merlow, Evelynn Danhof and Loimata Toia scored tries, while Gianna Diaz kicked seven conversions for 14 points.
Also on Friday was the highly anticipated Ivy League showdown between Harvard and Dartmouth in Cambridge, Mass. After a deadlocked first quarter, the Crimson put down three-straight tries from Gemma Ogoke (2) and Courtney Taylor, and Evie Eyers’ conversion provided 17 first-half points. The Big Green got on the board just before the first stanza ended, sending Vanessa Ortiz-Pallen away for the try: 17-7 with the conversion.
The second half was all Harvard, however, as Jojo Mignone and Morgan Gibson scored tries and Eyers added two more conversions: 31-7 the final.
Also an official Division I match, Sacred Heart University traveled to Queens University of Charlotte and banked a solid 69-7 win. The Pioneers had played to two single-digit losses against Harvard and Army, so the trip south was a restorative one.
Among those teams that are not post-season eligible, DI Long Island, Princeton and La Salle all won their respective matches. Long Island hosted Army’s sub-varsity side and won a 38-36 contest. Princeton shut out DII Frostburg State 94-0, and La Salle also posted a shutout against NCR’s Temple, 76-0.
In the Division II competition, DIII Bowdoin College hosted West Chester and celebrated an 18-17 win. The Polar Bears built a 13-0 lead from Janyah Bradley and Maddy Kosmoski tries, and an Ellie Carter penalty kick. And then the Rams responded with 17-straight points on tries from Christelle Adikpeto (2) and Nina McDowell, who also kicked a conversion. With just over three minutes to play, Bowdoin’s Jesse Vanston scored the go-ahead try for the one-point win.