Dartmouth Set to Open 2021 Season at Home vs. LIU Wednesday

GAME 1
Dartmouth (0-0) vs. LIU (0-0)
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 1
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Hanover, N.H. – Brophy Field
All-Time Series: First Meeting
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WE'VE MISSED YOU
After 661 days since the last game, Dartmouth is finally back in action this Wednesday, opening the 2021 fall season at home against LIU.

SCOUTING LIU
The Sharks were one of three teams to be added to the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) ahead of this season, bringing the total to seven Division I programs.

Although LIU didn't have a 15s season, it did play some 7s matches in the spring, facing Army (0-40, 5-22, 8-34), Molloy (48-0, 48-0), and Sacred Heart (5-31, 15-22, 15-33).

2021 SCHEDULE
The Big Green will be on the road for two in a row against Quinnipiac and Army West Point but will spend almost the entirety of October at Brophy as it hosts Sacred Heart (Oct. 2), Mount St. Mary's (Oct. 9) and Harvard (Oct. 23) before ending the regular season vs. Brown (Oct. 30). The NIRA Championship games will take place in November.

A big difference this year is that there is no Ivy Rugby Championship. While Dartmouth and Harvard have vied it out since 2016, the champion will now be crowned based on head-to-head Ivy outcomes within NIRA league play.

RETURNING PLAYERS
Some big names from past rosters that were due to graduate in 2020 are back and ready to play. Entering their fifth years are Lilly Durbin (center), Margot Généreux (wing), Idia Ihensekhien (prop/number 8), Marin Pennell (lock/number 8) and Grace Player (center/wing).

ROOKIES
Ready to make their collegiate debuts on Wednesday are Cassie Depner, Josie Harrison, Reign Jefferson, Asialeata Meni and Sadie Schier.

COACHING STAFF
Katie Dowty is back for her seventh year at the helm of the Big Green program after being named the team's first varsity head coach in June of 2015. She is joined behind the bench by assistants Stacey Bridges (sixth year), Meya Bizer (first year) and Kathleen Mulligan (first year).

TEAM UPDATES
It feels like both a lot and nothing has happened in the past 18 months that we have been without sports. Since March of 2020:

Five were named to the All-NIRA Teams (April).
The much-anticipated Indoor Practice Facility was completed (April).
Eleven players were selected to the NIRA All-Academic Team (June).
Emily Henrich, Kristen Bitter and Ariana Ramsey trained with the USA Women's National Team 15s (September).
Henrich and Coach Bridges attended Rugby National Team Spring Training (March).
Ramsey was selected to attend the Emirates Invitational 7s Competitive Training Camp (March).
Coach Dowty was named the USA Rugby U23 Head Coach (June).
Ramsey was named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Women's Rugby Team (June).
Henrich was named to the At-Large Academic All-Ivy Team, a first for women's rugby.

NEXT UP FOR DARTMOUTH
The Green will play at Quinnipiac next Saturday, Sept. 11.

Schedules