This week's NIRA and D1 women's collegiate action got underway early with Dartmouth handing Long Island a convincing loss.

Dartmouth Opens NIRA Account with Big Win

Convincing ... but we didn't really need to be convinced as Dartmouth was expected to be strong. Now we get to see who else has the goods, with Mount St. Mary's taking on a tough challenge at Harvard today, Friday, while Quinnipiac visits Sacred Heart. Harvard won the 2019 NIRA championship (the last time the season was held) in impressive fashion. Harvard has played since — not for 656 days. 

The Crimson brings back four student-athletes who earned NIRA first team All-American honors in 2019, including senior and 2019 Sorensen Award finalist Cassidy Bargell, sophomore Brogan Mior, junior Achele Agada, and senior Erica Jarrell.

Mior was outstanding in the final against Army and led the Crimson with 67 points on the strength of six tries, 17 conversions, and a penalty goal. The last time Harvard met Mount St. Mary's was in 2017, when the Crimson won 130-0 (!). But Mount Coach Farrah Douglas expects to see a tougher defensive effort  and with a senior-heavy forward pack will look to hit hard at the coalface.

Quinnipiac played Sacred Heart last spring and won in a competitive match 33-12. Hooker Libby Moser scored two in that game while Addison Walker, Allison Koenig, and Haley Crow all touched down once. All return for this fall. So does Wayzata, Minn. product Abbey Terpstra, who has a fine touch with her goalkicking. Quinnipiac added seven first-years to the roster with Lily Cartwright, Alise Kayser, Fodhla Ni Bhraonain, Riva van der Valk, Mariah Norris-Johnson, Gianna Conti, and Anja Soltesz all new Bobcats.

These games can be seen live

Quinnipiac vs Sacred Heart 4PM ET Here>>

Harvard vs MSM 7PM ET on ESPN+

Perhaps the closest clash of the weekend might be West Point at Brown. While Brown is working its way into D1, they should provide stiff competition, at home, to a West Point team that made the NIRA final in 2019. Army is favored, but it'll be interesting. (Watch live at 11AM ET on ESPN+ >>)

Check back for scores.