CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Adrian College Women's Rugby team concluded their fall season on Saturday as they competed in the NIRA DIII Women's Rugby Championship game, live on ESPN+, but fell short of the championship victory, losing to Bowdoin College, 51-17.
In the team's first Rugby 15's season in program history, the Bulldogs made it to the championship finals, which is quite the accomplishment.
The championship match kicked off at 11:00 AM at Harvard University's rugby pitch, Mignone Field. Bowdoin drew first blood scoring a try in the first three minutes and making the conversion to go up 7-0. A few minutes later, Pendo Miregi picked off a pass from Bowdoin to return it sixty meters for a try in the corner of the end-zone. Pendo missed her attempt to convert, so the score sat at 7-5 Bowdoin. Due to some following penalties against the Bulldogs and some dropped balls, the Polar Bears were able to take advantage of the opportunity and scored three more tries and a penalty kick before the end of the first half, making it 27-5.
The Bulldogs were dominant in the set pieces, pushing back Bowdoin's scrums and stealing a line-out. However it would not be enough. The second half started with Bowdoin scoring a try within the first two minutes giving the Polar Bears a leg up in the match. They quickly added two more scores before the 50th minute mark. Madisyn McDonald then made a great poach in a ruck for the Bulldogs that she passed off to Ariel Rathell who took off to score a try from fifty meters out. Madison Williamson converted the kick.
After another Bowdoin try, the Bulldogs were knocking on the try-line again. Chris Peters drove into the try zone to put the ball down off a forward pick 'n go, for the final score of the match, making it 51-17.
Head Coach Mike Bowen and Assistant Coach Christopher Hathaway were proud of the way their team showed up in the championship game. "Our ladies never gave up and continued to dominate in the scrums. The fight they showed was true to their spirit. Despite the loss, the ladies held their heads up high and proud of their journey that started three months ago. Our girls played some of their best rugby today with multiple players contributing. Your Adrian Bulldogs are the NIRA DIII Women's Rugby runners up!"
