Navy Women’s Rugby Rallies but Falls to Brown, 33-17, in Season Opener
By Brian Hradsky
Navy women’s rugby showed plenty of fight in its 2026-27 season opener, but an early deficit and two late Brown tries proved too much to overcome.
The Midshipmen fell to Brown, 33-17, Saturday afternoon at Berylson Family Fields in Providence, Rhode Island, dropping to 0-1 overall and 0-1 in National Intercollegiate Rugby Association play. Navy trailed by 14 points early in the second half before scoring two tries in a three-minute span to pull within 19-17. Brown responded with the final 14 points of the match to secure the victory.
Brown immediately put Navy under pressure and capitalized on an early turnover deep in Midshipmen territory. Charlotte Davies crossed the try line in the seventh minute to give the Bears a 5-0 advantage. Less than four minutes later, a Navy penalty following the restart helped set up a long scoring run by Maggie Hoffman-Long, and Davies added the conversion to push Brown’s lead to 12-0.
Navy’s defense stabilized after the difficult opening stretch and kept the Midshipmen within striking distance. The offense finally broke through in the 25th minute when Mia Young broke into space before offloading to Cecilia Izquierdo. Izquierdo quickly moved the ball to Arica Spencer, who finished the play with Navy’s first try and cut Brown’s advantage to 12-5 heading into halftime.
Brown regained control immediately after the break. The Bears forced a turnover on a Navy offload in the 41st minute, allowing Priscilla Maalouf to run through for a try before another successful conversion stretched the margin to 19-5. At that point, Navy needed an immediate response, and the Midshipmen delivered one of their best stretches of rugby all afternoon.
Senior captain Meagan Alvarez became the centerpiece of Navy’s comeback. In the 45th minute, Alexis Rohrbach helped move the Midshipmen forward before finding Young, who connected with Alvarez for a try that cut the deficit to 19-10. Alvarez entered the season as one of Navy’s two captains after finishing second on the team with 29 points last fall, and she quickly showed why she remains one of the Midshipmen’s most important offensive players.
Only three minutes later, Navy struck again. Grace McDonald produced a long run into Brown territory before Giada MacNamara powered through contact and advanced the ball near the five-meter line. Alvarez finished the possession with her second try in three minutes, while Young converted the kick to suddenly bring Navy within two points at 19-17.
The rally gave Navy a legitimate opportunity to complete the comeback, but Brown answered at a critical moment. A Midshipmen penalty during a scrum in the 59th minute created an opening for Valentine Detheux, who powered across the try line. Genie Dickens converted the kick, extending Brown’s advantage back to 26-17 and forcing Navy to chase the game again.
Navy continued to compete into the closing minutes but could not produce another scoring possession. Brown added its final try in the 80th minute following a deep attack into Navy territory, and Annie Hall converted to produce the final 33-17 margin. Brown improved to 1-0, while Navy suffered its second loss to the Bears in two varsity 15s meetings after Brown also won the first matchup between the programs in 2023.
Alvarez finished as Navy’s leading scorer with 10 points from her two tries. Spencer accounted for Navy’s other try, while Young supplied the Midshipmen’s lone successful conversion. Beyond the scoring, head coach Murph McCarthy highlighted the defensive work of Ellie Pierson and Keira Cole and praised the overall effort of a lineup that included six players competing in their first varsity match.
That youth provides some important context for Navy’s opener. The Midshipmen entered the season with Alvarez and Young serving as captains, but several new players were being asked to contribute immediately against an experienced Brown side. Navy still managed to erase much of a 14-point second-half deficit and reached a point where one more converted try could have given the Midshipmen the lead.
Brown’s ability to capitalize on Navy mistakes ultimately made the difference. The Bears converted turnovers, penalties and field position into points throughout the afternoon, particularly during the opening 10 minutes and again after Navy closed the deficit to two. Navy’s best stretches showed what the offense can become, but eliminating those costly mistakes will be critical as the NIRA schedule progresses.
The Midshipmen will now have time to regroup before returning to action. Navy is idle this week and will travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, to face American International College on Saturday, Sept. 19, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m.
MSB Take
The final score does not completely reflect how competitive this match became. Navy could have folded after falling behind 19-5 early in the second half, but instead the Midshipmen scored 12 unanswered points and turned the game into a 19-17 contest. That response is one of the most encouraging things Navy can take away from the season opener.
Alvarez looked exactly like the veteran leader Navy needs her to be. Two tries in a three-minute stretch brought the Midshipmen right back into the match, while Young continued to impact the attack both as a distributor and kicker. Navy also received important contributions from several players making their first varsity appearances, which should help this roster develop quickly over the next several weeks.
The biggest issue was giving Brown too many opportunities off mistakes. Against quality NIRA opponents, turnovers and penalties in dangerous areas often turn directly into points, and Brown punished Navy repeatedly when those chances appeared. Clean that up, and this Navy team showed enough against Brown to believe it can be much more dangerous as the season moves forward.
Final: Brown 33, Navy 17
Navy record: 0-1 overall, 0-1 NIRA
Next match: at American International College, Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m.
