Just four NCAA varsity teams were idle last weekend, providing plenty of action for the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) and its rankings. (see complete box scores below)
In Tier 1, Quinnipiac traveled to Dartmouth and fell 14 points short of the reigning national champion. The Big Green put seven different players away for tries, while Clara Lemal-Brown finished off four scores for the Bobcats. Harvard sent 13 players into Notre Dame College’s try zone during a 105-0 rout. The Crimson plays Tier 2 Brown this weekend, while Army takes on DI Elite’s Penn State in a non-league. The rest of Tier 1 is idle.
In Tier 2, Brown surged in a 49-7 win over Mount St. Mary’s, thus reclaiming the No. 3 spot from the Mountaineers, and building all sorts of anticipation for the Oct. 26 Queens University of Charlotte match. This weekend, however, the Royals meet West Chester in Virginia for a battle of the top-two ranked team. The Golden Rams moved into the No. 1 spot – not for anything that Queens did “wrong,” per se, but for the push that West Chester is making. The Pennsylvania team played two non-league games last weekend – the first against powerhouse UVA (40-21 W) and the second against senior club Phoenixville White Horse (22-19 L).
American International College beat Long Island University 98-7, and put seven Yellow Jackets into the try zone for 14 tries. Kassidy Pothier kicked all 14 conversions, earning AIC Athlete of the Week for the tremendous achievement.
In Tier 3, the University of New England only trailed Colby-Sawyer College 24-19 with fewer than 10 minutes to play, but the Chargers put down three-straight tries for the 39-19 final. When the teams played each other in late September, Colby-Sawyer won 58-0.
Norwich took a 28-0 forfeit win against New England College, but the teams did play three sets of 10s. The Cadets won 91-17 overall and got multi-try performances out of Brook Stafford, Reagan Aldersea, Emma Parizo and AnnaLeigh Runion.
In cross-tier action, Molloy College and Castleton University played 10s, and saw the Lions triumph 59-10 over. Kaitlyn DeMaio, Kaitlyn DeMaio and Olivia Sturiano had multi-try days.
TIER 1
Tries: Kristin Bitter, Idia Ihensekhien 2, Marin Pennell, Anyoko Sewavi, Sophia Haley, Abigail Schill, Allison Tong
Cons: Bitter 6
Tries: Clara Lemal-Brown 4, Mikah Maples, Destiny Henry
Cons: Mckenna Haz 3, Allison Koenig
—–
Tries: Sofie Fella 2, Milan Roberts 2, Erin Wright 2, Arianna Romero 2, Alex Pipkin, Emma Kearney, Darby Eck, Cassidy Bargell, Robyn Beese, Sarah Lipson, Brogan Mior, Brooklynn Davis, Sabrina Kim
Cons: Roberts 5, Mior 5
NOTRE DAME COLLEGE 0
No report
TIER 2
Tries: Grace Larko, Autumn Czaplicki 2, Katie Moritz, Corinne Gallagher, Lauren Madalian
Cons: Kylie Corless 5
UVA 21
—–
Tries: Mahdia Parker 2, Lexi Nelson, Abby O’Keefe, Zy Thomas, Lilly Snell
Cons: Olivia Duba 5
Pens: Duba 3
Tries: Jalana Garcia
Cons: Maya Grassi
—–
Tries: Jamaya Hawkins 4, Suley Guerrero 3, Abby Conde 2, Karee Horton 2, Jessica Berggren, Esther Aquino, Ashley Torres
Cons: Kassidy Pothier 14
LIU 7
No report
—–
Tries: Kaitlyn DeMaio 3, Kaitlyn DeMaio 2, Olivia Sturiano 3, Kimmie Williams, Keisha Hoskins, Madison Howell
Cons: Aubrey Kelley 2
Tries: Mariah Jollie, Julia May
TIER 3
Tries: Jordyn Enos 4, Madison Rettenmaier, Bailey Burt, Jasmine Serdahl
Cons: Julia Anhalt, Burt
Tries: Alyssa Ehrenfried 2, Mariah Chase
Cons: Chase 2
—–
Tries: Brook Stafford 4, Reagan Aldersea 3, Emma Parizo 3, Morgan Butcher, AnnaLeigh Runion 3, Molly Higgins, Louisa Johnson-Gray, Emily Ngo
Cons: Stafford 3
NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE 17
No report