Two Thriller Finals Cap NIRA Season

In the D-I final, Harvard came into the game having lost to Dartmouth in Cambridge earlier in the season. But, playing at Dartmouth this time around Harvard came in with a plan. The Crimson kicking game was strong and tested the Dartmouth catches, while the Harvard scrum caused the Big Green all sorts of problems.

After weathering some early pressure (and a Dartmouth decision not to take points on a kickable penalty), Harvard scored two well-taken tries set up in part by MVP Tiahna Padilla. That put Harvard up 12-0. Dartmouth scored late in the first half and then put together their best sequence to tie it up 12-12.

Harvard responded with a try, and with the scrum led by No. 8-turned-prop Charlotte Gilmour, they had the better of the run of play. Dartmouth squandered a key scoring chance and Harvard did not, and it was the Crimson that took the win 19-12.

"Pressure makes diamonds," said fullback Chloe Headland, referring to early-season close games that reminded the Harvard team that they weren't going to waltz through this competition. As a result, they didn't panic when things got tough, and emerged champions.