Eight From Dartmouth Earn All-NIRA Honors

Photo: Ryan Yong

Dartmouth Women Set for National Anthem at Brophy, Photo: Ryan Yong

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

HANOVER, N.H. — After appearing in the divisional championship match for a third straight year, the Dartmouth women's rugby team landed eight players on the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association's All-NIRA listings, equaling the Big Green's total from the 2022 season.

Four First XV selections highlighted the All-NIRA announcement

Four Big Green players were named to the First XV, each being recognized as the top talent at their respective positions. Asialeata Meni (No. 2) and co-captain Nyah Cordero (No. 7) were both included on last season's iteration and repeated in 2023 at the same positions. Meni scored a team-high 50 points, eventually recording her final try in a semifinal match against Quinnipiac to help Dartmouth clinch a date with Harvard in the NIRA Final. Cordero scored one try on the season, which came in a 115-7 win over Princeton – the Big Green's highest-scoring match in program history.

Sadie Schier (No. 9) and Hehea Pulotu (No. 13) earned their first All-NIRA honors, rounding out the Big Green's First XV contingent. Co-captain Schier scored three tries, each coming in the win at Princeton, and helped the vaunted Dartmouth defense hold opponents to 10 or fewer points in five different matches. Puloto, a first-year standout, scored her first of her four tries in the season opener at Penn State, and later scored one in the semifinal against Quinnipiac.

Hann Humphreys (No. 6), Nicole Ihensekhien (No. 8) and Abbey Savin (No. 10) were each named to the All-NIRA Second Team. Humphreys, a fifth-year in just their second season with the team continually made an impact, including 23 tackles in the regular season matchup with eventual champion Harvard. Co-captain Ihensekhien totaled five tries, and Savin led the Big Green with 19 conversions and ranked third on the team with 38 points.

First-year Cindy Taulava was the Big Green's lone honorable mention. She scored nine tries (second on the team), including three in the semifinal victory over Quinnipiac.  

 

By: Kyle Relf