Photo: Doreen Madalian
Week two of the country’s NCAA varsity competition, the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA), saw 13 teams in motion, when including three non-league matches. Upsets, in terms of pre-season rankings, occurred in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Division III. (Hyperlinks reroute to the respective athletic departments that produce teams’ match reports.)
TIER 1
Army West Point 34-10 Harvard … Bayleigh Gable’s boot was crucial in keeping the scoreboard ticking over and the senior fullback kicked four penalties to lead the Black Knights in a 24-point win over Harvard. The Crimson were coming off a 57-10 win over Quinnipiac in week one but the Army defense did well to stifle the attack. Army’s B side then played Molloy College and won 56-5.
Tries: Damaria Morton, Sam Sullivan, Gio Ferguson-Lewis, Charisma Henry
Cons: McKenzie Borchers
Pens: Bayleigh Gable 4
Tries: Virginia Miller, Brogan Mior
Quinnipiac 23-22 Penn State … This was a non-league match but the two teams have been playing each other in the fall the last few years. There were three lead changes during this match, and the teams got their points in very different ways. Penn State put down four tries through Ayla Bleznak and Sophie Pyrz, while the Bobcats relied on three penalty kicks from Bianca Ceolin to join its two tries from Clara Lemal-Brown. One of the latter’s score was a penalty try, and that extra conversion was the difference on the scoreboard.
Tries: Clara Lemal-Brown, Penalty try (Lemal-Brown)
Cons: Bianca Ceolin, penalty try con
Pens: Bianca Ceolin 3
Penn State 22
Tries: Ayla Bleznak 2, Sophie Pyrz 2
Cons: Sophie Pyrz
TIER 2
Mount St. Mary’s 19-17 AIC … The coaches poll pinged AIC (1) and 2018 champ Mount St. Mary’s (2) as the top-two teams in Tier 2, and the teams came through in tight competition. AIC held a 12-5 lead at the break, and then the home side surged in the latter portion of the match. Maya Grassi’s two conversions were clutch.
Tries: Jenna Lewaren, Taylor Mensah, Jalana Garcia
Cons: Maya Grassi 2
AIC 17
Tries: Aohili Latu, Suley Guerrero 2
Cons: Cassidy Pothier
West Chester 25-14 Brown … It was back-and-forth between these two teams for the majority of the match and then the final 10 minutes saw tries from West Chester’s Grace Larko and Autumn Czaplicki, her second, for some cushion.
Tries: Autumn Czaplicki 2, Harley Divine, Lauren Madalian, Grace Larko
Tries: Karina Wang 2
Cons: Abby O’Keefe 2
Sacred Heart 34-14 LIU Post … The Pioneers held a 15-7 halftime lead and then back-to-back tries from freshman Makinzie Youngblood saw Sacred Heart pick up momentum. This match brought together four coaches with Quinnipiac lineage: Head coaches Michelle Reed and Colleen Doherty are former QU assistant coaches, and SHU and LIU Post assistants Jennifer Salomon and Lindey Wise are former Bobcat players. Doherty is also a former player.
Tries: Isabel Cuddy 2, Makinzie Younglood 2, Arianna Heonis, Nia Williams
Cons: Kaylee Hale 2
Tries: Sydney Long, Maqueisha Gillet
Cons: Janine Gelles 2
DIVISION III
Colby-Sawyer 34-15 Norwich … Norwich took a 15-12 lead in the 59th minute with an unconverted try by junior Molly Higgins (Thetford Center, Vt.). However, Colby-Sawyer (1-0) dominated the final 20 minutes, scoring four straight tries and 22 unanswered points to run away with the victory. YC at 61st min saw CS run away
Tries: Jordyn Enos 3, Bailey Burt 3,
Cons: Julia Anhalt 2
Tries: Emma Parizo 2, Molly Higgins
Bowdoin 76-0 Roger Williams … a non-league match against a Rugby Northeast program. Sophia Karris scored three tries while Molly Petronzio kicked five first-half conversions, while Ashlynn Autrey and Jenna Clukey led the defensive effort with eight tackles apiece.