CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard women's rugby will begin its 2021 postseason run when the Crimson takes on Army West Point in the NIRA National Semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 13 at noon at Mignone Field. The Crimson will look to advance to its third consecutive NIRA National Championship game with a chance to defend its national title from 2019.
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What to Know
- Harvard comes in as the No. 2 seed in NIRA following a 6-1, 6-1 NIRA regular season. Army secured the No. 3 seed with a 5-2-1, 3-2-1 NIRA record.
- Harvard defeated Army 22-7 on Oct. 30 to close out its regular season schedule and secure home-field advantage for the semifinal.
- First-year PK Vincze scored two tries last time out against Army and leads the Crimson with nine on the season.
- Senior Emma Kearney has tallied four tries in Harvard's last two contests.
- First-year Chloe Headland leads the Crimson with 65 points this season, totaling four tries, three penalty kicks, and 18 conversions.
- Harvard is unbeaten this season at Mignone Field (4-0) and has won 13 straight contests on its home field.
- The matchup features a rematch of the 2019 National Championship Game at Mignone Field, which saw Harvard prevail with an 18-7 victory.
- The other side of the bracket will feature No. 1 Dartmouth taking on No. 4 Brown in Hanover, N.H.
At the Helm
Mel Denham is in her fifth season with the Crimson. Denham received the Ragatz Family Harvard Women's Coach of Excellence Award following her successful 2019-20 campaign which saw the team win the NIRA National Championship. She owns a 24-8 overall record at Harvard.
Next Up
The winner of this contest will go on to face either Dartmouth or Brown in the NIRA National Championship on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m. in West Point, N.Y.
