Top-Ranked Big Green Down Crimson, 39-10
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The top-ranked Dartmouth women’s rugby team continued on its undefeated season with a 39-10 victory over No. 4 Harvard at Mignone Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Big Green — currently No. 1 in the coaches’ poll — are now 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Ivy Rugby play, while the Crimson dropped their first match of the season and are now 3-1-1 and 1-1.
Photo: Sophomore Eva Klein, Courtesy: Doug Austin
Leading the way for Dartmouth was senior Frankie Sands with two tries, while junior Kat Ramage had two conversions. Also ending up with five points from a try apiece were junior Camille Johnson with her first of the season, sophomores Evan Klein and Berit DeGrandpre, and freshmen Idia Ihensekhien and Lilly Durbin.
In an aggressive battle between two highly ranked teams, it took over 15 minutes for either squad to get on the board, but it was Dartmouth that scored first following a try by Ihensekhien to get that 5-0 lead. Ten minutes later, the Big Green were back in search of another try, but the Crimson thwarted the attempt and sent the ball in the other direction and out of danger.
Harvard was not so lucky just a few minutes later, when a Johnson try and a conversion by Ramage made it a 12-0 game. One more try, this time by Durbin, gave Dartmouth a 17-0 advantage heading into the intermission.
A Crimson try and a missed conversion early in the second made it a 17-5 game, but the Big Green ran away with the lead when Sands had a pair of tries and Klein scored once. Add a good conversion by Ramage – her second of the afternoon – and Dartmouth had a 32-5 lead. Harvard managed to get one more try, but the visitors countered with one by DeGrandpre after time had ran out to end the game (39-10).
The Big Green will conclude the regular season next Saturday, Oct. 14, with a 12 p.m. home match against No. 10 Brown.