Dartmouth Takes Down Defending National Champion Quinnipiac

Saturday, September 8

Hamden, Conn.

1:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Quinnipiac

Senior Kat Ramage

Photo by: Doug Austin

Dartmouth Takes Down Defending National Champion Quinnipiac

9/8/2018 3:52:00 PM | Women's Rugby

By: Charlotte Brackett

HAMDEN, Conn. – Dartmouth women's rugby took down three-time national champion Quinnipiac, 40-22, at the Quinnipiac Rugby Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Big Green improved to 2-0 on the season, and the Bobcats – which were picked first in the NIRA pre-season rankings while Dartmouth was second – dipped to 0-2 after falling to Harvard last weekend.

Senior Kat Ramage, and freshmen Sophie Ragg and Emily Henrich all ended the day with 10 points; Ramage had five good conversions, while Ragg and Henrich scored a pair of tries.

"The team really fought hard today in every aspect of the game," head coach Katie Dowty said. "Our forwards put QU under immense pressure at set piece, particularly at the scrum. The backs used that platform to great effect. The penalty count certainly wasn't in our favor, but we'll have a look at that in film and will learn from it.

"It was a big rematch of last year's NIRA Final," Dowty continued, "but we didn't let ourselves get hung up on that. The team stayed in the moment, focused on us, and did what we came to do. I am very excited to see what this year's team can do by the end of the season."

Tries by Ragg, senior Camille Johnson and Henrich, and a trio of good conversions by Ramage within the first 17 minutes put Dartmouth ahead, 21-0. Quinnipiac got in the game with a try of its own and a good conversion and, following a penalty kick, made it a 21-10 match. Henrich's second try of the game and a good kick by Ramage increased the Big Green's lead (28-10) to end the first half.

Two Bobcat tries and one conversion to start the second pulled the home team within six points (28-22). Dartmouth shut down Quinnipiac's opportunity for a comeback with two more tries of its own, scored by Ragg and a career-first for sophomore Margot Généreux, and a good Ramage conversion to give the Green a 40-22 lead.

The Big Green will be home for three straight matches, starting with Brown on Saturday, Sept. 15.