BRIEF: Women's Rugby Puts Away Princeton Early

There are wins and then there are wins. The Harvard women’s rugby team (4-1, 2-1 Ivy League) pulled off a dominant 58-5 win Saturday afternoon against conference foe Princeton (2-1, 0-1).

The Crimson pulled off the pummeling of the Tigers after suffering its only loss thus far of the season last Saturday against Dartmouth.

Seeing the field for the first time since the loss lit a fire under Harvard that did not go out for the duration of the game. The Crimson jumped to a quick lead early in the game and did not look back.

For the majority of the game Harvard had control of the ball, tacking try after try onto the scoreboard until it had gone up 48-0. When the onslaught was all said and done, eight tries had been score by the Crimson and gone unanswered by Princeton.

Multiple Harvard players came through on the offensive side for the Crimson, including senior Clair Collins, junior Maya Learned, sophomores Akweley Okine and Caitlin Weigel, along with freshmen Delia Hellander and Robyn Beese.

The Tigers were able to scratch their way onto the scoreboard late in the contest, coming through with one try to spoil Harvard’s shutout. The Crimson countered Princeton’s score with two more of its own, sealing the points scored on the day.

Saturday’s game was the second-largest points deferential Harvard has racked up against its opponents this season, having outscored the University of New England 54-0 earlier in the year.

With the win, the Crimson earned home-field advantage for the Ivy League semifinal match on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Staff writer Ariel Smolik-Valles can be reached at ariel.smolik-valles@thecrimson.com