Completed Event: Women's Rugby at Navy on September 6, 2025 , Win , 52, to, 7
Final
Women's Rugby
at Navy
52
7
Saturday, November 12
Hanover, N.H.
1:00 PM
Dartmouth College
47
vs
14
Quinnipiac
Ava Procter ’24
Photo by: Bryan LaFountaine
Big Green Bound for NIRA Championship
11/12/2022 5:04:00 PM | Women's Rugby
Dartmouth defeated Quinnipiac 47-14 in the NIRA Semifinal and now awaits Harvard in the final
HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth women's rugby team is headed to the NIRA Championship for the fourth time in program history after defeating Quinnipiac 47-14 in a NIRA Semifinal matchup Saturday afternoon at Brophy Field.
The Big Green, winners of 17 straight dating back to last season, will enter the championship match with a perfect 8-0 record. They'll take on Harvard, who defeated Army West Point in the other semifinal match.
"We knew it would be a challenge, but we stuck to our gameplan," said senior Kristin Bitter, who notched six conversions. "We know we have the ability to go all the way and this is one step in doing that."
Seven different players found the try zone for the Big Green as they were able to pull away from the Bobcats midway through the first half. Dartmouth dealt the opening punch with Ava Procter's try and Quinnipiac responded minutes later to tie the match, but the Big Green used steady offense to lead 40-14 at the break. The Bobcats were shutout in the second half as Dartmouth flexed its muscle defensively, and Nicole Ihensekhien rounded out the scoring at the 45-minute mark.
Procter's try to open the scoring came less than five minutes into the contest as she received a pitch, fended off one defender and outran two more before planting the ball between the uprights.
Simone Bautista's dash down the sideline off a feed from Sophie Ragg, along with a tough-angle conversion by Bitter, put Dartmouth on top, 14-7. Midway through the half, Lauren Ferridge powered her way across the goal line to build a two-score lead and just two minutes later, Ariana Ramsey fielded a kick and left several Bobcats in the dust for an electrifying try.
Ragg tacked on another in final minutes of the first half, intercepting a Quinnipiac offload and running a clear path to the try zone. Sadie Schier provided the exclamation point on an exciting first half, blocking a kick deep in Quinnipiac territory and tracking down the loose ball for the score.
Ihensekhien's try was the lone score for either side in the second half as the Dartmouth defense imposed its will on the Bobcats, who had won four straight entering Saturday's postseason action.
The stage is set for Dartmouth and Harvard to square off in a rematch of a regular season thriller. The Big Green trailed by as many as 16 on the road, but stormed back to eventually tie the game in the final seconds on Katelyn Walker's try, and seal the win in the instant classic on Bitter's conversion. It will be the second time the two Ivy League foes have met in the championship. The Big Green downed the Crimson in the 2018 NIRA final, which was played at Dartmouth's Scully-Fahey Field.
"We're going to have so much fun and the home crowd is going to be exhilarating," said senior Nicole Ihensekhien about the chance to win back-to-back titles, and do so as the home team.
The NIRA final between Dartmouth and Harvard will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Dartmouth's Burnham Field on Saturday, Nov. 19. The match will follow the Division III and Division II championships, and all three will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are available for purchase via the Dartmouth Athletics website.
FIRST HALF
4:41 - Procter try and Bitter conversion, 7-0
13:10 - Bautista try and Bitter conversion, 14-7
20:40 - Ferridge try and Bitter conversion, 21-7
22:20 - Ramsey try and Bitter conversion, 28-7
31:40 - Ragg try and Bitter conversion, 35-7
39:48 - Schier try, 40-14
SECOND HALF
45:00 - Ihensekhien try and Bitter conversion, 47-14
The Big Green, winners of 17 straight dating back to last season, will enter the championship match with a perfect 8-0 record. They'll take on Harvard, who defeated Army West Point in the other semifinal match.
"We knew it would be a challenge, but we stuck to our gameplan," said senior Kristin Bitter, who notched six conversions. "We know we have the ability to go all the way and this is one step in doing that."
Seven different players found the try zone for the Big Green as they were able to pull away from the Bobcats midway through the first half. Dartmouth dealt the opening punch with Ava Procter's try and Quinnipiac responded minutes later to tie the match, but the Big Green used steady offense to lead 40-14 at the break. The Bobcats were shutout in the second half as Dartmouth flexed its muscle defensively, and Nicole Ihensekhien rounded out the scoring at the 45-minute mark.
Procter's try to open the scoring came less than five minutes into the contest as she received a pitch, fended off one defender and outran two more before planting the ball between the uprights.
Ava Procter gets us started 😎https://t.co/CED4TQaaWv | @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/iUCe2xtrX7
— Dartmouth Rugby (@DartmouthWRugby) November 12, 2022
Simone Bautista's dash down the sideline off a feed from Sophie Ragg, along with a tough-angle conversion by Bitter, put Dartmouth on top, 14-7. Midway through the half, Lauren Ferridge powered her way across the goal line to build a two-score lead and just two minutes later, Ariana Ramsey fielded a kick and left several Bobcats in the dust for an electrifying try.
Ariana Ramsey 🤯https://t.co/CED4TQ9D6X | @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/nQIzVHT9DY
— Dartmouth Rugby (@DartmouthWRugby) November 12, 2022
Ragg tacked on another in final minutes of the first half, intercepting a Quinnipiac offload and running a clear path to the try zone. Sadie Schier provided the exclamation point on an exciting first half, blocking a kick deep in Quinnipiac territory and tracking down the loose ball for the score.
Ihensekhien's try was the lone score for either side in the second half as the Dartmouth defense imposed its will on the Bobcats, who had won four straight entering Saturday's postseason action.
The stage is set for Dartmouth and Harvard to square off in a rematch of a regular season thriller. The Big Green trailed by as many as 16 on the road, but stormed back to eventually tie the game in the final seconds on Katelyn Walker's try, and seal the win in the instant classic on Bitter's conversion. It will be the second time the two Ivy League foes have met in the championship. The Big Green downed the Crimson in the 2018 NIRA final, which was played at Dartmouth's Scully-Fahey Field.
"We're going to have so much fun and the home crowd is going to be exhilarating," said senior Nicole Ihensekhien about the chance to win back-to-back titles, and do so as the home team.
Caught up with Kristin Bitter and Nikki Ihensekhien after the semifinal win! pic.twitter.com/RroEsGfnVp
— Dartmouth Rugby (@DartmouthWRugby) November 12, 2022
The NIRA final between Dartmouth and Harvard will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Dartmouth's Burnham Field on Saturday, Nov. 19. The match will follow the Division III and Division II championships, and all three will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are available for purchase via the Dartmouth Athletics website.
FIRST HALF
4:41 - Procter try and Bitter conversion, 7-0
13:10 - Bautista try and Bitter conversion, 14-7
20:40 - Ferridge try and Bitter conversion, 21-7
22:20 - Ramsey try and Bitter conversion, 28-7
31:40 - Ragg try and Bitter conversion, 35-7
39:48 - Schier try, 40-14
SECOND HALF
45:00 - Ihensekhien try and Bitter conversion, 47-14
Players Mentioned
Flyhalf
/ Women's Rugby
Hooker
/ Women's Rugby
Lock/Number 8
/ Women's Rugby
Flanker/Center
/ Women's Rugby
Fullback
/ Women's Rugby
Wing/Scrumhalf
/ Women's Rugby
Scrumhalf/Fullback
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