This year’s NCR Women’s D1 competition is wide open.
Good teams from the 2023-24 season remain strong, and there are some significant additions to the competition this year. Here are some teams to watch:
UConn and Northeastern
Both are looking at a new playoff scenario now that the Rugby Northeast has moved to NCR. These teams are automatically now in the conversation. Last week, UConn shut out Rhode Island 39-0, which is a pretty standard result for the Huskies.
They UConn forwards are an experienced and tough bunch and should lead the way.
Northeastern, for their part, played NIRA varsity team Long Island University and lost 36-0. This was a good test for Northeastern to get them thinking more about being organized on defense and precise in the breakdown.
Going forward, Northeastern has some startling talent with that deep three of Kourtney Bichotte-Dunner, Jolene Russo, and Milia Chamas constant try-scoring threats.
Jordan Kreisler is still running the attack at flyhalf. Ella Hughes has moved from lock to prop and she partners with returning hooker Preston MacNeill and returning prop Grace Preston. They have experience and were the CRAA fall champs in 2023. So they are poised.
Midwest and Big 10
Michigan has won NCR’s D1 twice in a row and things have changed significantly in their roster as many of the players who contributed heavily to those NCR championships have graduated. Some experience in the forwards, including Madison Anttila, Rebecca Dooley, and Audrey Corriere, will be huge for them. Last week they held off Notre Dame 21-14, but expect Head Coach Jamie Frech’s team to improve.
Purdue won big over Michigan State, and Adrian beat Indiana 54-19. Adrian is a big newcomer into the NCR and they have started well. The Bulldogs were D-II finalists in NIRA in the fall of 2023 but have moved to NCR and go from a D-II runner-up in NIRA to a D1 contender in short order.
They scored their opener within give minutes, and power-runner forward Paige Longcore scored four tries, while Armonie Brown added two.
Adrian had to formulate a last-minute coaching change after previous men's Head Coach Zac Mizell left Adrian to take the head coaching job. Chris Hathaway, who had been the Adrian men's head coach was slated to be the new women's head coach, but then was shifted two weeks ago to take over the men's program. That opened up a place for Gracie Martinez to take over the women's team.
"Every single player went above and beyond today. We do have some minor things to improve on, but overall this feels like a strong 180 from last season."
In the Midwest Conference, we had a close one with Minnesota getting past Wisconsin 31-30. That will be a good rivalry this year. Perennial champs Northern Iowa won well over Iowa 50-24.
