Dartmouth holds on to defeat Harvard 20-15

Harvard pulled off a second half comeback scoring 2 trys but it wasn't enough as Dartmouth held on to win at homecoming.

The Big Green led by as many as 15 in the second half and managed to hold off a Crimson comeback bid in the final minute to improve to 4-1 overall this season and 4-0 in conference games. Two second-half tries from Alex Stendahl proved to be crucial as they produced the only Big Green points of the half. 

Grace Chao, Caitlin Weigel and Genevieve Quirion each scored a try for Harvard. The Crimson had an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds, but had the ball knocked forward, losing possession and giving the Green and White the ‘W’.

About

The setting is the Brophy and Battle fields of Dartmouth College as Harvard visits Dartmouth for a fall fifteens rugby match. Harvard returns to action after a weekend off from competition. With a 3-1 record, Harvard is off to its best start in program history through its first four games.

Dartmouth, in its inaugural year at the varsity level, boasts a 3-1 record, including a perfect 3-0 mark in Ivy Conference play. Dartmouth sits atop the Ivy Conference standings with 14 points and is the only undefeated team in conference play.

Harvard trails Dartmouth 2-3 in the all-time series. The Crimson hold a 2-1 edge against Big Green in the fall slate and Dartmouth holds the 2-0 advantage over Harvard in the spring season. In Harvard's three seasons at the varsity level, Dartmouth has handed the Crimson two shutouts and is the only opponent to hold the Crimson scoreless.

Keys to the Game: Dartmouth

This weekend we are hosting a Celebration of Dartmouth Women's Rugby, to celebrate the history of the club, honor long-time coach Deb Archambault, and officially launch the varsity era. Many, many alumnae of every era of Dartmouth Women's Rugby will be returning home for this match.

We have a lot to play for this weekend against Harvard. They are a good side, but we are determined to set the tone of the match and force the Crimson to play Dartmouth Rugby. Our focus this week is on playing as one team, with one mind, and trusting each other to do our jobs. We are excited to make our returning alumae proud!

— Katy Dowty