NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's rugby team concluded the 2024 15s season on Saturday, hosting a friendly match against McGill University, in a 66-22 loss for the Cadets.
The Cadets saw four different players log points in the affair, as
Alyssa Gioia (Stamford, Conn.) led Norwich offensively with a pair of tries.
Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) and
Elinah Liaina (Killeen, Texas) tallied a try apiece, while
Joey Abrantes (Massena, N.Y.) converted successfully on a kick.
The Cadets played first and second-side players in the friendly match, with several first-year standouts hitting the pitch, including
Kensey LaCroix (Bagley, Minn.) and
Lilliana Goyette (Townsend, Mass.).
In addition, Liaina, traditionally the starting prop, made her debut in the backline at inside center and made an immediate impact on offense by putting points on the board and commanding a strong defense with one of the day's highest tackle percentages.
The match came about when a McGill player met Norwich women's ruggers
Octavia Crawford (Shelburne Falls, Mass.), Shannon Hobbs (Burlington, N.C.), and
Kate Desautels (Rutland, Mass.) at the U23 Selects New England Independents team this past summer. After the contest on Saturday, both teams mingled over pizza and wings, with fluent French speakers from Norwich conversing with the Quebec-based opponents.
The Cadets close the season ranked 16th in the nation in the most recent National Collegiate Rugby Top 20 Coaches Poll for Women's Division II women's rugby. Norwich's season included a victory over #6 University of New Hampshire, a draw with #9 Roger Williams University, and a bout with #2 United States Coast Guard Academy.
