NIRA Opening Weekend: Head-Turning Results
NIRA Opening Weekend: Head-Turning Results
Navy, Harvard, Lindenwood, Long Island, Dartmouth, and Sacred Heart all took wins in the opening weekend for DI NIRA teams.
Of those, only Harvard playing a non-conference game, as the Crimson looked very shark in their 55-7 defeat of AIC.
Here’s what happened.
Defending Champs Open with a Win
First-year recruit Sana’a Lunon opened the season with Harvard’s first try. Longtime readers of GRR will know Lunon as we noted her abilities and interviewed her almost four years ago.
Harvard’s open-field play and the understanding and leadership of Tiahna Padilla and Maya Hilger staked the Crimson to a 26-0 lead. AIC came close a couple of times and were able to score just before halftime, but Harvard rolled.
Lunon ended up with three tries on the day, while Padilla, Gemma Ogoke, Eva Rankin, Lennox London, and Evie Eyers added one each. Ava Ference added a try and five conversions for 15 points.
Dartmouth Makes Statement
Playing a tough Quinnipiac team, two-time NIRA DI runners-up Dartmouth looked very dangerous in a 59-0 shutout of the Bobcats.
As with Harvard, the first try was from a debutante, this time Marley Larkin. And as with Harvard, said freshman would go on to get a hat trick, although actually Larking would add another at the end of the game for her fourth. The speedy outside back was just too much for Quinnipiac, and Larkin will certainly thanks the ball movement of her teammates, who did well to put her into space.
Paola Arredondo Almeida added two tries, while Annie Henrich for a try and six conversions for 17 points. Reece Moody and Katelyn Walker also scored in a game where Dartmouth’s defense, especially their quickness in getting organized, and their power up front told the tale.
Navy Downs Queens
After a couple of years inching into the varsity space, Navy exploded out of the gates this weekend with a 58-7 defeat of Queens.
Megan Alvarez was outstanding on a day when she started the game on the bench. Coming in at 30 minutes Alvarez started repeatedly making and surpassing the gainline with strong carries and she kept her head up to offload as well. That created tries. Alvarez also took over the goalkicking duties and was solid on the day.
Behind a very strong performance overall from the forwards, Navy captains Ashley Spencer and Ella Callahan led the way with tacklers and strength in contact. Arica Spencer, the captain’s younger sister, was a defensive dynamo as Navy put in a head-turning result.
Lindenwood Opens Account
In the closest game of the day, Lindenwood pulled away with a strong second half to beat Army 34-22.
Madison Jersey was excellent, scoring three tries, including the opener on a long run. After that opener Amy Brice raced in, and then would set up Jersey for her second and a 17-0 Lindenwood lead. The Black Knights regrouped in impressive fashion midway through the first half and put Gabby Woenker over.
Lindenwood answered with Jersey’s third of the day, but as halftime approached, flanker Tyra Soleil Ringdahl charged through from about 30 meters to score, and then Chloe De Leon powered over to make it 22-17 Lindenwood at the break.
We had a ballgame on our hands and while Lindenwood has often looked to star loose forward Freda Tafuna to take over games at this juncture, Tafuna was busy scoring a hat trick for the USA in the World Cup.
Sure the Lions have plenty of other talent and the key was, who would make the the plays? Jasmine Fehoko, fresh off an impressive freshman season, charged through for a key try that kept Lindenwood ahead by two scored. Ringdahl would answer for Army to make it 27-22 midway through the second half.
But Lindenwood closed it out with an Ava Reuter try, converted by Gianna Diaz. It wasn’t easy, however, and any thoughts that Lindenwood would tromp their way through their new NIRA competition have been fairly clearly dispelled.
"Was great to get our first win in the NIRA against a quality opponent in Army,” said Lindenwood Head Coach Trevor Locke. “Loved our atmosphere inside the stadium as well. We will take lots from this match heading into next week on the road to Boston.”
That’s where they play Harvard next week.
"Lindenwood is a great team, and we're excited to welcome them to NIRA,” added Army Head Coach Jenn Salomon-Clayton. “While the result wasn't what we wanted, I'm proud of how we took the opportunity. We set a great foundation we're building on and that gives us tremendous confidence as we continue building this season."
The ramifications of this scoreline might well be felt later. Army’s competitiveness with what is expected to be a powerful Lindenwood side could give them a boost in the Power Rankings despite the loss. And we might not see that effect until later.
LIU Racks Up Points
In a game between two programs working to take steps forward, Long Island University unleashed their considerable speed to great effect in a 54-7 win over Princeton.
After weathering a long period of Princeton possession in which they defended well, the Sharks opened the scoring off a scrum, with Kori Fields coming in a first receiver, looping around, and taking the return pass to burn the Tigers.
The forwards worked the next one with plenty of physicality; No. 8 Sayler Russell thundered over for the next try. With Princeton having one player down hurt, LIU exploited that extra space with wing RJ Scott racing around everyone.
Right off the ensuing restart, some nifty interplay and hard running put scrumhalf Deja Peary in under the posts.
Lock Harper Schindler was good on all of those conversions.
A long run from Peary was stopped short of the line but the support was there to finish it off. It was 33-0 at halftime and LIU was fairly clinical in finishing off the game.
And Finally …
The most notable result may well have been between two teams that were almost equal in 2024. Sacred Heart and Brown both were bringing back some key players and had graduated some key players. But the difference was palpable early.
Sacred Heart brought plenty of physical power and intensity and that helped the Pioneers to a 24-7 halftime lead.
They continued to push and at one point led 38-7.
Brown rallied, but it was too steep of a mountain to climb and Sacred Heart won in impressive fashion 45-21.
So, not especially surprising that Harvard, Dartmouth, and Lindenwood won. The closeness of Lindenwood’s victory is notable, and Dartmouth’s big shutout of Quinnipiac might turn a few heads.
Long Island seems to have found a few more pieces of the puzzle to unleash their athleticism, while Navy and Sacred Heart are a year old, more experienced, and stronger, and could really make a dent in this league.
