On Sept. 27, Dartmouth women’s rugby team lost to Harvard 36-33 in a close match at Brophy Field.
Heading into the game, the Big Green’s mindset was to “play with urgency and maintain it,” according to center Annie Henrich ’28. Head coach Katie Dowty also highlighted the team’s intent to be more proactive.
“They’re really trying to dictate and impose on the opposition defense, rather than having to be reactive,” Dowty said.
Harvard put points on the board early, securing a 17-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. According to Dowty, the game was a “grittier affair” than the team had anticipated.
However, around the halfway point, the tide began to turn. Dartmouth scored multiple tries and took the lead. Wing Paola Arredondo Almeida ’27 described how the Big Green’s “energy shifted” after coming together during one of Harvard’s conversion kicks.
“No one’s head was down,” she said. “Instead, we regrouped and fought back.”
Henrich emphasized the significance of the team’s comeback.
“It put us back in contention to win the game and was a momentum change,” she said. “It shows our fitness and resilience.”
Dowty also pointed to the team’s ability to capitalize on moments of transition by “stealing Harvard’s line out” and taking advantage of weakness in Harvard’s defense.
“That was still probably the most successful metric,” she said. “We can exploit that broken defense. We’re really good at that.”
Following a fierce back-and-forth battle, Harvard eventually came out on top with a last-minute try. However, following the loss, Arredondo Almeida stressed how the game served as motivation for the rest of the season.
“We understand it comes down to the details and decision-making now, and I know we are even hungrier now,” Arredondo Almeida said.
Henrich also said that the Harvard game can be an opportunity for growth.
“Battles like these are exactly what we need to grow and learn,” she said. “We’re still climbing and know where our improvements need to be made.”
Although there was no game this past weekend, the Big Green will take on Bowdoin College this Saturday for Homecoming weekend.
“We’re certainly looking forward to our Homecoming game against Bowdoin,” said Henrich. “It’s a great opportunity to continue to nail down our structure and emphasize possession of the ball.”
