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Brown Betters Harvard in Ivy League

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Brown Betters Harvard in Ivy League

Brown pushes past Harvard. (Photo courtesy Brown Athletics)

Last year, the top four teams in the Ivy League traded victories for a very exciting season that eventually named Brown its victor. Entering Saturday's contest between Brown and Harvard  two teams that beat their Week One opponents by a combined 181-5  the field was eager to gauge the type of drama that might mark this year's season. Whatever the fall holds, Brown has made an early case for the top spot in the Ivy League, as the Bears beat Harvard 44-17 to improve to 2-0.

 

"The scrums and the pace of our back line were key in the victory,” Brown flyer Kiki Morgan informed. “Our forwards managed to turn over the ball in the scrum many times, giving the backs more opportunities to attack.”

All American Morgan was the main striking force in the backs, and the team's leading try-scorer added four tries to her grand total on Saturday. In the pack, sophomore Hannah Yi was equally impressive, dotting down three times and making good use of her fellow forwards’ possession-stealing efforts.

Morgan and Yi notched two tries apiece in the first half, while Becca Dahle slotted the first of her three conversions. Brown’s tries were broken up by Harvard’s lone score, one that emerged after a solid lineout and pick-and-go series propelled by Haley Langan, Mariah Turner, and Ann-Marie Barrett – 22-5 into the break.

“We were shaky in the first half because of nerves, but as the game went on, the nerves settled and we were able to execute our game plan,” Morgan assessed.

But not before Harvard was able to close the gap. The Crimson continued to lean on its forwards and opened up the second stanza with a converted try (22-12).

The turning point followed. Harvard was only two scores out from the lead, and Brown needed to quell any kind of comeback. Yi and Morgan answered the call with tries, and Dahle tacked on a penalty. When Harvard's Grace Chao dotted down with 20 minutes remaining (37-17), Morgan silenced the hope for another surge with her third try, 44-17, with Dahle's conversion.

Brown will look to improve to 3-0 when it heads to Dartmouth this weekend, while Harvard takes on Princeton for the Tigers’ first game of the season. Cornell and Columbia will also play.