GRR: Women DI College
The fall has been an incredibly exciting season, as teams that have aligned with the varsity and DI Elite leagues have the freedom to book competitive games every weekend. Lindenwood has explored the eastern half of the country, and traveled south to Life University last weekend. The Lady Lions got more than a little pushback from the host, as the Running Eagles won 25-14.
The Quinnipiac vs. Army game pit the varsity league’s top two teams against each other in a game that would bring the squads’ relative improvements into focus. When the squads competed on Sept. 12, the Black Knights staged a brilliant comeback to win 29-24.
There is one more stage before the Northeast names its representative to the DI fall Round of 8. Standings leaders UConn and Boston College will meet on Nov. 7 for the conference final and determine which team will head directly to the national playoffs. The runner-up will move into the play-in round on Nov.
As details about the DI fall championship develop, one thing is for certain: A new team will represent the Midwest this year. Northern Iowa led the region for years, but it’s time for either Minnesota or Iowa State to head to nationals.
It was only a friendly, but whenever Virginia Women’s Rugby (UVA) and North Carolina play each other, the game is of interest. They’re two of the consistently strong DI teams in the Mid-Atlantic and are favorites to meet in the Mason-Dixon conference final this spring.