Women’s Rugby Heads to Harvard for Battle of Undefeateds

MATCH 5
Dartmouth (4-0) vs. Harvard (4-0)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 | 12 p.m.
Location: Cambridge, Mass. | Roberto A. Mignone Field
All-Time Series: 10-3
Last Meeting: 10/23/21 – W, 45-31

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SATURDAY'S MATCH
For a second time this year, Dartmouth faces a fellow undefeated NIRA program. Last time, it was Army West Point (3-0), which Dartmouth bested 24-15 at home. Now, the Big Green face potentially their toughest test on the road against a high-powered 4-0 Harvard squad that averages 68 points per contest.

LAST TIME OUT
There was no threat of an upset last Saturday at Mount St. Mary's. The Big Green cleared 70 points for the seventh time in program history in another dominant win as 10 different players found the try zone. Josie Harrison, Cassie Depner, Katelyn Walker and Abby Kayser all scored their first career tries in the 79-0 triumph. Kristin Bitter was good for six conversions, Taylor Sadek added two, and Kayser even closed the match with a drop goal.

SCOUTING HARVARD
Harvard's offense has looked unstoppable at times this season. The Crimson defeated Quinnipiac 48-19 to open the season and then erupted for a 95-7 shellacking of Mount St. Mary's, only to follow that up by pouring 102 points on Princeton. They most recently defeated Sacred Heart 27-5 and are well-rested off a bye week. Harvard is the only team in any NIRA division to hit triple digits on the scoreboard this season. Freshman Lennox London leads the team with eight tries, while Chloe Headland has six on the season. Brogan Mior largely handles the kicking duties and has totaled nine conversions.

FAMILIAR FOES
Dartmouth won the first six meetings between these two programs, including three in 2017, which featured a regular season meeting, an Ivy Rugby Championship and an NIRA Semifinal Clash. Dartmouth fell just shy of a NIRA Championship that year with a 29-20 loss to Quinnipiac in the final. Harvard's first win in the all-time series came in the 2018 Ivy Rugby Championship. The Big Green responded by beating the Crimson in 2019's iteration of the Ivy Championship, but Harvard got the last laugh two weeks later in the NIRA Semifinal. Dartmouth came out on the winning end of a high-scoring affair in the penultimate regular season game last season.

THE STREAK
Some may say 13 is an unlucky number, but that's how many consecutive matches the Big Green have won. Of that baker's dozen, only one has been decided by single digits - last year's regular season meeting with Army West Point. The streak dates back to Nov. 9, 2019 when Harvard upended the Big Green 23-22 in the NIRA Semifinal on its way to a NIRA title.

WHAT'S AHEAD
The Big Green are back at Brophy Field Saturday, Oct. 22 as first-year program Princeton represents Dartmouth's next challenge. Dartmouth will then close the regular season with another match at Brophy Field as Brown comes to Hanover in a rematch of last year's NIRA Semifinal.

Schedules