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National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) is one month into its NCAA varsity season, and there is some great rugby being played in the eastern half of the U.S. Division I is where most of the in-conference rugby is being played, and while nothing is decided yet in terms of the post-season, a group of real semifinal contenders has shaken out. Division II and Division III are getting in their laps and supplementing schedules with non-conference play. Note that records reflect in-conference matches only.
RELATED: Oct. 1 DI Power Rankings
Harvard leads Division I at 4-0, and three of those wins have been decided by single digits. Last Saturday’s victory against Dartmouth (3-1) in Hanover, N.H., however, was the most thrilling of September and resulted in an Ivy League title for the Crimson.
Harvard scored the first 17 points of the match before Dartmouth responded with three-straight converted tries of its own: 21-17 to the Big Green into the break. The second half was more of a try-trading affair, and with no time remaining in regulation, Harvard showed what it could do under pressure. Trailing 33-29, co-captain Tiahna Padilla broke through the defense only to be pulled down at the try line. The center got the ball free to first-year Sophie Hayes, who dotted down the go-ahead points. Skyler Jordan added the conversion for cushion, and the final whistle sounded: 36-33 to Harvard.
Both Harvard and Dartmouth enter bye weeks this weekend and return to the pitch on Oct. 11. The Crimson will face semifinal candidate Sacred Heart (2-1), while the Big Green play a non-conference match against DIII Bowdoin College.
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Army (3-2) had played Harvard to a 32-27 loss the weekend prior and rebounded with a big 60-0 win against 0-3 Brown.
“I’m incredibly proud of how this team bounced back after last week’s tough result,” Army head coach Jenn Salomon-Clayton told GoArmyWestPoint.com. “It was a really hard training week, and I have to give full credit to the team in how they showed up every single day, put their heads down and did the work. We accomplished every objective we set out to achieve today. Walking off the field with a victory at home feels amazing, and we’re ready to get back at it on Monday as we head into a big week ahead.”
Cassidy Ball led with three tries, while Chloe De Leon dotted down two. The duo lead Army on tries scored, while flyhalf Alissa Eisenhart’s five conversions pushed her season points total to 52. On Friday, the cadets head to Fairfield, Conn., to take on Sacred Heart, and it’s an important contest. Alongside Harvard, Dartmouth and Lindenwood, they are, realistically, the top contenders for a DI semifinal berth.
Photo: Pat Moroney @patmoroney
Navy improved to 3-2 after a 78-5 win against Princeton (0-3) in New Jersey. The Midshipmen really moved the ball around, putting 11 different players into the try zone and seeing conversions from four different kickers. Meagan Alvarez led with 13 points on four conversions and a try, while Catherine O’Hara (2T, C) and Mia Young (T, 2C) appeared in both scoring columns.
“We had a strong performance today and I was pleased with how well we played on both the attack and on defense,” Navy head coach Murph McCarthy told NavySports.com. “Our kicking game has improved as the season has progressed and it was great today.”
Navy enters a bye week before hosting Quinnipiac (2-2) on Oct. 11. The Bobcats were off last weekend and host La Salle (0-2) on Saturday. The Explorers were expecting to play a 15s match against NCR’s Temple University last weekend but nimbly shifted to a pair of 7s matches instead. Nonetheless, the runout marked La Salle’s first wins as a varsity program, as the team outscored the Owls by a combined 91-5.
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Queens University of Charlotte (1-3) picked up its first DI conference win of the season, beating Mount St. Mary’s University (1-1) 38-7 in Maryland. This Saturday, the Royals are meant to meet Lindenwood (2-1) — whose non-conference game against DII Davenport last weekend was canceled due to the Panthers’ roster availability — in Nashville, Tenn. Also idle last weekend, Long Island (1-3) will play DII New Haven this Friday night in Connecticut.
DIVISION II/III
With the geographic spread of DII and DIII programs, and the varying ability to qualify for post-season 15s, it made sense to combine these two divisions. Ultimately, it’s DIII Bowdoin College (2-0) getting into the mix with DII, and the Polar Bears are already looking like a solid final’s contender. The Maine team has beaten New Haven (0-4) and Frostburg State (2-1) so far, and will travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., (home to NCR DII National Champion Vassar College) this Saturday to meet West Chester University. Bowdoin coach Laura Miller will check in next week for a status update.
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American International College (1-0) is the reigning champ and started putting the pieces together during non-conference games against DI teams, and then looked solid in its 58-point win against West Chester. There’s been a coaching change between former head coach T Fletcher and Director of Rugby Jameson Bonti, and this Saturday’s test against Davenport (2-0) will serve as a good check-in. The Panthers have also beaten West Chester and New Haven, but had to cancel last weekend’s game against DI Lindenwood for roster reasons. The Michigan team is used to short benches but it’s always tough.
Emory & Henry College, Guilford College, Thomas College, Univ. New England and Warren Wilson are not pursuing post-season pathways. They are playing a mix of 7s and 15s, tournament games and in-conference matches.