The Polar Bears responded with four tries in the half and took complete control of the day.
³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿’s defense held strong throughout the second half, and, with less than two minutes to go, scrumhalf Sara Nelson ’22 and center/flyhalf Catherine Patti ’22 served the ball wide to wing Molly Petronzio ’22, who broke multiple tackles and sprinted sixty meters for the final score of the match. Petronzio and fullback Sophia Karris ’22 both scored a pair of tries in the victory, while lock Ashlynn Autrey ’22 (12) and Patti (9) led ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿’s tacklers, and prop Safiya Osei ’21 was named tournament MVP.
With their 27–5 victory, ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ became the first-ever Division III champions in the newly formed National Intercollegiate Rugby Association.
This story first appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ Magazine website.
