HANOVER, N.H. – The Bowdoin College women's rugby team scored 22 points in the second half to pull away from the University of New England and win the 2022 NIRA Division III championship on Saturday at Dartmouth College.
The title is the third-straight for the Polar Bears (2019, 2021) as Bowdoin ends its season with an 8-1 overall mark.
Match Highlights
- In a back and forth first half, Bowdoin defended in their end for 10 minutes as UNE had possession and territory but couldn't find the try zone.
- At 18 minutes Kyra Bishop broke off a hard 12 meter run to the try zone. A quick pass from Evie Hamer off a ruck set up by Maggie Norton put Bishop through the gap and Lauryn Eisenhart notched the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
- UNE pressured again late in the half and again, Bowdoin's defense kept them off the scoreboard as the Polar Bears maintained a seven-point lead at the break.
- In the 51st minute Bowdoin ran a set piece play off a scrum at midfield orchestrated by Evie Hamer and Katie Stomma. The ball passed through five sets of hands before Saniya Ridley sprinted the final 40 meters for the try.
- Six minutes later, at the 57 minute mark, Bowdoin was awarded a penalty at the 22 meter line. Scrumhalf Justine Endo-Ferguson took a quick tap and passed to Len Dodge, whose sidestepped her way between the posts, and a 19-0 after the conversion.
- Ridley scored again in the 72nd minute as Bishop keyed the run to Hamer and Eisenhart and finally Ridley, who dashed the final ten meters for the try and a 24-0 edge.
- Bowdoin put the cap on the win in the 76th minute as Rebecca Vakarau made a long run and delivered a short pass to Len Dodge, who crashed over the end line for a 29-0 final score.
- Leading tacklers in the forwards were Bishop, Dodge and Jorja Markella.
- Great defense in the backline saved many hard-running line breaks by the opposition thanks to wings LuLu Linkas and Saniya Ridley and both centers, Ella Garnett and Katie Stomma.
- Ridley was named the Championship Match MVP for her performance.
