NIRA D1 Opens Season and We Preview It

08.26.2024

The NCAA D1 teams kick off their NIRA league seasons this coming weekend and we’re taking a look at it.

First off, while Lindenwood is now an NCAA program in women’s rugby, they joined after the schedule had been made (that schedule has to be set really early). So you’ll see that Lindenwood’s situation is a little different. The Lions will open up about a month after all the other teams we talk about here and will play the likes of Davenport (NIRA), Southern Nazarene (NCR), BYU (CRAA), Grand Canyon (CRAA), and Penn State (CRAA).

Lindenwood returns plenty of experience, led by MA Sorensen Award-winner and capped Eagle Freda Tafuna.

Here, then, is a look at the D1 opening games and the teams. All games set to be played on Saturday, August 31.

Dartmouth vs Army

The 2023-24 runners-up (Dartmouth) will put on the field a bunch of powerful forwards. Head Coach Katie Dowty has done very well in recruiting some powerful pack players, such as Jordyn LeBeau out of Eagle HS in Idaho, Camryn Cook out of Illinois, Katjia Crawford out of Kahuku, Vasiti Turagavau out of Provo in Utah, and Canadian lock Sadie Williams. They partner nicely with several returning powerhouses such as Cindy Taulava, Josie Harrison, Cassie Depner, Asi Meni, and Ali Bulabalavu.

So really the question is, where are the players out wide? They’re there, too. Paola Arredonda Almeida was a breakout performer for the 7s team last spring and should find more space to roam this fall. Coming in will be youngsters such as Caroline Dalton (another Canadian) and Annie Henrich (whose sister is former Sorensen Award-winner Emily, who is now an assistant coach with the Dartmouth team).

Paola Arrendono Almeida for Dartmouth from Goff Rugby Report on Vimeo.

Piecing all the backline pieces might take a few weeks, but their forwards should hold on.

For Army, they bring in 11 really accomplished freshmen but the central piece for them is their halfback combination of Alissa Eisenhart at flyhalf and Emma Gamboa (most likely at scrumhalf but she can play elsewhere) or Marissa Wollbrinck. This is quite a young team and they might need a little bit of time to connect.

Brown vs Quinnipiac

Wow, right off the bat is a game with massive playoff ramifications. Remember, NIRA uses Power Ratings to figure out who makes the playoffs, and doing well against your closest competitors really helps. These two teams might well be battling each other for one of those coveted semifinal spots.

Brown returns some serous talent including Nikki Lynch and Akilah Cathey, potentially their most impressive attacking players, with Jania Vandevoorde and Elizabeth Mahoney providing leadership and strength up front. They have some recruits to watch out for (Sadie Wilson, Jordan Wiseman, for example).

And similarly, Quinnipiac has key playmakers including Fódhla Ní Bhraonáin at center and kicking goals and Kat Storey at fullback. Anna Van Dyk is their leader up front. But take a look at the Bobcats’ recruiting. Head Coach Becky Carlson has a very good connection with Ireland and three players come to Connecticut from the Emerald Isle. Three major names out of high school rugby in the USA come in (not that the other players aren’t talented) in Divine Savior No. 8 Melanie Sanchez, Aspetuck all-everything prop Jennie Weiner, and Charlotte Cardinals flyhalf Alexa Kirschner.

What role these players can play as freshmen remains to be seen, but we saw first-year players jump in to make an impact for Harvard two years ago, and Sacred Heart last year.

This is a huge game.

Harvard vs Mount St. Mary’s

The Mount brings in Carolyn Bower out of Medina HS, Rachel Camiglio out of Aspetuck, and sneaky scrumhalf Anna Kugelman out of Morris to augment their lineup. They have an experienced core in the backline and Head Coach Maggie Myles has started to build something, including some crucial self belief. Remember what self belief did for Sacred Heart last year.

But this is a very tough opener for MSM. Harvard is the defending championship team and … wow … check out their backline. They basically return their entire backs save for Brogan Mior.

Two players who have enjoyed serious Sorensen Award notice in Lennox London and Tiahna Padilla are back. The collegiate 7s player of the year, Cameron Fields, is back. Chloe Headland, Skylar Jordan, Reese Morgan, Victoria Stanley, and PK Vincze all come back. That’s a hugely dangerous bunch of backs.

So, the Crimson’s job, is to win ball on a consistent basis. Yes they have an excellent recruiting class, but this will all come down to the experience of Carly Lehman, Charlotte Gilmour, and Sofia Hilger, especially. Lehman, at hooker, will be key, because if Harvard can win consistent set piece ball, they will score tries.

Sacred Heart vs Princeton

Sacred heart vaulted into the semifinals last year paced by some excellent freshmen. Those freshmen, Reese Torticill, Reece Woods, and Olivia Woods especially, are now more experienced and taking on more of a leadership role. Reece Woods and Ashley Torres-Brown also played for the USA U20 team this summer. Add in Avonlea Wood and Makena Wright at center and the astonishing Alyssa Cunningham, back for her senior year, and you’ve got the core of their successful team of 2023.

Sacred Heart Ready to Keep Climbing: Cunningham

Now what? The freshmen coming in include Megan Chura, a brilliant and smart flyhalf/fullback from St. Joseph’s Academy in Cleveland, Erin Croke out of Regis Jesuit in Colorado, Karlee Allington, who helped Eagle HS win a national title, Viola Koning from a brilliant Summit HS team in Colorado, and the powerful back rower Ella Bortz from Knightmare in Pennsylvania.

SHU faces a Princeton team that was brand new to the NCAA sphere last year. It was tough because they were recruiting heavily from on-campus. Their team is still very young and they are working their way through it. If they want to make a splash, then this could be a good time to do it.

And yes, Princeton was winless in the fall of 2023, but a couple of those games were very close.

Navy vs Queens

Further South, Navy hosts Queens.

The Queens Royals have a new coach in Danny Harlow, late of the Ealing Trailfinders in England and then Charlotte Catholic right down the road. He will lean heavily on the leadership group with Maggie Dineen at scrumhalf, Maddie Hughes at fullback, and 2nd-team all-NIRA players Jada Medellin and Jay Stone.

Navy is in their second year in NIRA but this is a team that was in a better position to succeed than most programs joining the NCAA world, as being a military academy just helps. Now with a recruiting class playing for him, Head Coach Murphy McCarthy now has former USA 7s captain Abby Gustaitis on his staff. MIracle Haynes, a 2nd-team all-NIRA flanker, leads the way on a team that could really cause some ripples in the league. It’s the forward back that returns the players, with Haynes at lock or flanker, Jess McKenzie at hooker, and props Maggie Geiger and Grace Oliver.

The Upshot

Harvard comes in favored and Dartmouth comes in strong, too. But the chase to unseat them is hot and there are several teams in this 10-team D1 conference that could unseat the leaders.