Norwich to face Mighty Dartmouth
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's rugby team opens up its quest for the inaugural National Collegiate Varsity Women's Rugby Association (NCVWRA) Varsity Cup 15s Tournament championship on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The Cadets will take on Ivy League champion Dartmouth College at 11 a.m. at Brophy Field in Hanover, N.H. in the quarterfinal round of the inaugural all-varsity tournament.
Norwich (3-5) is coming off a 46-5 win over Notre Dame College (Ohio) in its regular season finale on Oct. 31. The Cadets earned the No. 4 seed for the Northeast Conference after compiling a 1-4 record against league opponents.
Dartmouth (7-1) is coming off an undefeated Ivy League Championship season where the Big Green won all five regular season games and then won the Ivy League playoff title last weekend with a 19-12 victory over Brown. Dartmouth earned the No. 1 seed for the Ivy League by virtue of its regular season and playoff titles.
All-Time Series: Dartmouth vs Norwich
Norwich leads the all-time series with Dartmouth 3-1, including a 74-10 victory in fall 2014. The Cadets also posted 56-0 and 44-0 wins in 2010 and 2009. Dartmouth picked up its lone win in 2008 with a 17-12 victory.
Dartmouth Scouting Report
Dartmouth is led offensively by its senior co-captain duo of Yejadai Dunn and Tatjana Toeldte. Dunn has scored a team-leading 11 tries on the season, while Toeldte has touched down for seven more tries to lead the Big Green offense.
Dartmouth clinched the Ivy League playoff title with an 82nd minute try from junior Audrey Perez to break a 12-12 dead lock and give the Big Green a 19-12 victory coupled with a conversion from Camille Johnson.
Norwich Scouting Report
Norwich is led offensively by senior Emily Colesworthy (North Yarmouth, Maine), who has scored a team-leading 10 tries on the season. She touched down four times in NU's last game vs. Notre Dame College. Sophomore Frankie Sands (Essex Junction, Vt.) has chipped in with eight tries, while sophomore Alanna Girardin (Worcester, Mass.) has six tries.
A trio of seniors round out Norwich's offensive leaders with four tries a piece in Hannah Bell (Newberg, Ore.), Val McGuire (Felts Mills, N.Y.) and Ally Day (Gorham, Maine). Freshman flyhalf Bayli Jenski (Palmer, Alaska) is 26-for-42 on conversions this year and 2-for-2 on penalty kicks. She also has scored on try for a team-leading 63 points.
What's at Stake
The winner of Saturday's quarterfinal matchup will advance to the Varsity Cup Final Four weekend to be hosted at Brown University on Nov. 20 and 22. In the other quarterfinal matchups, Quinnipiac takes on West Chester, Brown plays AIC and Army battles Harvard.
Bob Weggler, Norwich University Director of Rugby
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