Harvard remains unbeaten, but almost everything behind the Crimson became harder to read after a dramatic weekend of National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) women’s rugby.
Harvard defeated Dartmouth 31–7 on Friday night, Navy handed Lindenwood its first loss of the season 18–15, and LIU erased a 26-point deficit to beat Army 38–36 on Saturday. Less than 48 hours after losing to Navy, Lindenwood responded with a 64–0 victory over Brown on Sunday.
The results leave Harvard as the clearest constant in an increasingly unpredictable opening month.
Harvard Keeps Winning
Harvard improved to 3–0 with its 31–7 victory over Dartmouth at Mignone Field, extending its winning streak to 16 matches dating back to 2024.
Gemma Ogoke scored twice in the first half as Harvard built a 17–7 halftime advantage. Courtney Taylor also crossed before the break, while Josephine Mignone and Morgan Gibson added second-half tries as the Crimson held Dartmouth scoreless over the final 40 minutes.
The victory also secured Harvard’s second consecutive Ivy League championship and fourth overall. Harvard Athletics said the Dartmouth result was the Crimson’s second victory over an Ivy League opponent this season, enough to clinch the title.
Harvard’s three wins have come in very different ways: a 26–24 battle with Sacred Heart, a 76–0 victory over Brown and Friday’s 24-point win against Dartmouth.
The Crimson now have a week off before Navy visits Cambridge on October 10.
Navy Hands Lindenwood Its First Loss
Navy entered Friday’s home opener at 0–2 overall and 0–2 in NIRA play. Lindenwood arrived unbeaten.
The Midshipmen changed both trajectories with an 18–15 victory at the Prusmack Rugby Center.
Natalie Peugeot accounted for 13 of Navy’s 18 points with two tries and a penalty, while Caroline Shegogue scored the Midshipmen’s other try.
Lindenwood trailed 18–10 before Ella Elordi crossed in the 71st minute to cut the deficit to three. The Lions mounted one final attack in stoppage time and reached Navy’s five-meter line, but the Midshipmen’s defense held.
Navy improved to 1–2 overall and 1–2 in NIRA, while Lindenwood took its first NIRA defeat.
LIU Comes Back From 26 Points Down
Saturday produced the weekend’s biggest comeback.
Army appeared firmly in control after Chloe de Leon scored four first-half tries and the Black Knights built a 31–5 advantage.
LIU cut the deficit to 31–12 before halftime and scored again after the break. Army answered through Karlee Richards to make it 36–19, but those would be the Black Knights’ final points.
LIU scored 19 unanswered to complete a 38–36 comeback at Robert Blitz Field.
It was another game decided by the smallest of margins for LIU, which had already beaten Mount St. Mary’s 29–28 earlier this season. The Sharks’ two victories have been decided by a combined three points.
Lindenwood Answers 48 Hours Later
Lindenwood had little time to dwell on its first defeat.
The Lions remained in Annapolis for Sunday’s neutral-site game against Brown and responded with a 64–0 victory, improving to 4–1 overall and 2–1 in NIRA.
Lindenwood led 31–0 at halftime and scored ten tries. Gabby Bryant, Mia Saige Topasna, Ava Reuter and Evelynn Danhof each scored twice, while Gianna Diaz kicked seven conversions.
Loimata Toia’s second-half try made her the 20th different Lindenwood player to score this season, underlining the range of contributors in the Lions’ attack.
The result also completed one of the most revealing sequences of the NIRA season so far.
Brown beat Navy 33–17. Navy then beat Lindenwood 18–15. Two days later, Lindenwood beat Brown 64–0.
Those results don’t form a straight line.
They are a reminder of the danger of reading too much into individual results this early in the season. Matchups, travel, conditions and performance on the day can produce dramatically different outcomes.
La Salle Continues Its Turnaround
La Salle added another significant result outside NIRA league play with a 76–0 victory over Temple on Saturday.
Played through a heavy downpour, the conditions did little to slow the Explorers. La Salle led 50–0 at halftime and finished with 12 tries from ten different scorers. Kaylie Castro scored twice, while Esme Gates returned from injury in style with two tries after missing the previous week’s win over Mount St. Mary’s. Jocelyn Terry added a try and six conversions.
It was La Salle’s third consecutive victory after wins over Mount St. Mary’s and Army, continuing a strong response to an opening loss against Princeton.
The NIRA Picture
Harvard’s 3–0 start has put the Crimson in a strong early position, but the results behind them show why the NIRA race cannot be reduced to simple win-loss comparisons.
NIRA’s Power Ratings system also matters because teams do not all play identical schedules, making results and strength of opposition part of the postseason picture.
Lindenwood is 2–1 in NIRA after splitting its two games in Annapolis. Navy is 1–2 after breaking through against the Lions, while LIU’s comeback against Army adds another significant result to the developing picture.
October should provide more clarity.
Harvard hosts Navy on October 10 before traveling to St. Charles to face Lindenwood on October 17. Lindenwood then visits Army at West Point on October 24.
October Should Tell Us Much More
September has established Harvard as the unbeaten team at the front of the NIRA picture, but it has done little to establish a clean order behind the Crimson.
The Brown-Navy-Lindenwood sequence is the clearest example. Three games produced three dramatically different outcomes, while LIU’s comeback from 26 points down against Army added another reminder of how quickly a game can change.
Harvard has avoided that volatility so far. Its next two NIRA games should tell us considerably more, with Navy visiting Cambridge on October 10 before the Crimson travel to Lindenwood a week later.
