Women’s Rugby Goes 4-0 at West Chester 7s

Sunday, March 29

West Chester, Pa.

10:20 AM

Princeton University

West Chester 7s

March 29, 2026 | Women's Rugby

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Princeton Women's Rugby made history on Sunday, as the Tigers' A-side — Princeton Black — went 4-0 at the West Chester University 7s Tournament, marking the first undefeated tournament result in the program's varsity history.

Princeton Black outscored their four opponents 130-27 across the day, with dominant performances from front to back. Princeton Orange, comprised of the program's newest student-athletes, also delivered a memorable developmental day — highlighted by a dramatic buzzer-beater to close out the tournament.

Princeton 26, West Chester 0
The Tigers opened the tournament emphatically, shutting out the hosts. Tries came from Lindsey Mulligan '28, Maizy Miller '29, Hazel Pron '29, and Laura Barnds '27, with Captain Malinka Kwemo '27 converting three. Princeton's defense set the tone early, allowing West Chester no path to the try line.

Princeton 36, Penn State 10
Princeton faced its stiffest test of the day against Penn State. Tries from Hazel Pron '29 and Lindsey Mulligan '28 gave the Tigers an early lead, but Penn State fought back to level the match at 10-10 at the half. Princeton's response in the second half was decisive — four unanswered tries from Maizy Miller '29, Annie Huettel '28, and two from Laura Barnds '27, plus two conversions by Kwemo '27, broke the game open and sent a statement to the competition.

Princeton 42, Frostburg 5
The Tigers' Captains took center stage against Frostburg. Sam Handwerk '26 and Ciara Loughran '26 each scored twice in the first half, with Kwemo '27 converting three, to put Princeton firmly in control. The defensive effort was equally impressive — Laura Barnds '27 held up a Frostburg ball carrier in goal and forced a critical turnover. In the second half, powerful carries from Lehua Harris '29 set the platform for Reyna Palmer '28 to score her first A-side try. Barnds '27 then sealed the match with a long-range interception converted into a pick-5 score, capping a complete team performance.

Princeton 26, La Salle 12
Princeton closed out the tournament in style against La Salle. Laura Barnds '27 scored twice more to extend her outstanding individual day, joined by tries from Maizy Miller '29 and Lindsey Mulligan '28. Hazel Pron '29 stepped in to convert all four. Lindsey Mulligan '28 was a defensive force throughout, her tackle work generating enormous pressure and turnover ball that fueled Princeton's attack.

Princeton Orange Shines in Development Matches
Princeton Orange — a B-side composed primarily of the program's newest student-athletes — competed in three matches against West Chester's B-side, a group that includes many of West Chester's recruited A-side players.
Orange dropped their first two matches 10-15 and 7-15, but grew with every minute. Alyssa Brigham '26 scored her first-ever Tiger try, and Lehua Harris '29 added a team try. A late score from Emily Popek '29, converted by Riley Pan '28, showed real fight.

In their final match, Princeton Orange found themselves down 0-10 within the opening three minutes — and responded. Two tries pulled the Tigers level, the second a stunning long-range effort from Lexi Loughran '29 right at the buzzer to claim a 10-10 tie. The comeback underscored the competitive culture being built throughout the entire program.

Coach Quote:
"Today reflected the grit, tenacity, work rate, structure, and creativity we've been working hard on over preseason— and it showed a glimpse of what's ahead. Princeton Black competed with precision, physicality, and real belief: going 4-0 and making program history. Our team has earned this big milestone through the work they've put in every single day. And what a joy to watch Princeton Orange rise -- are our newest Tigers competed against experienced opponents and refused to quit. Our buzzer-beater to tie the final match showed real character. What a day — Go Tigers!" — Lauren Rhode, Princeton Women's Rugby

Princeton returns to action on April 3-4 at the Tropical 7s tournament in Tampa, Florida.