Coming off a resounding 101-0 drubbing of Columbia, the women’s rugby team is on track to continue its Ivy League domination in its last conference matchup of the regular season against Princeton. The Bears have collectively outscored their opponents 246-32 so far this season, scoring approximately eight points for every point their rivals have mustered.
But an athletic and formidable Princeton team will try to upset the status quo Saturday, Oct. 18 as it travels to Providence in a last ditch attempt to spoil Bruno’s perfect Ivy season. The Tigers (2-1) seem strong this season, despite an early stumble against Dartmouth in their season opener, which resulted in a 62-3 loss, their lone defeat of the season. They bounced back with victories over Penn and Harvard to cement their place as a viable threat to Ivy challengers.
Brown (4-0) is perched comfortably atop the Ivy rankings with four wins under its belt for a total of 20 points. The scoring system awards four points for a win, plus an extra point for each game with four or more tries. The Bears have outpaced Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth and Penn, who are in a four-way tie for second place with 10 points each.
The Tigers and the Bears have a competitive history. Bruno squeezed out two wins over Princeton last year by narrow margins of 12 and 14 points. The second triumph knocked Princeton out of contention for third place at Ivy Championships.
The Tigers will be seeking revenge this fall, but the Bears have their eyes set on the number one berth at championships this year. Someone will walk off the pitch disappointed.
Brown’s impressive, speedy backs will have a large say in who ends up celebrating. Co-captains Oksana Goretaya ’17 and Saskia Morgan ’16 combine in mighty force, outpacing opponents with ease to notch a total of 23 tries between the two of them. Most notably, they combined for nine tries against Columbia and 10 against Penn. The Bears have also devoted a good chunk of practice time to ensuring that they’re playing a cohesive game of rugby, one in which the backs and forwards communicate well and work as one unit.
Though Bruno is unlikely to emerge from this Saturday’s matchup with another 101-0 blowout to its record, the squad will pose a tough fight for anyone trying to cut its reign.
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