Women’s Rugby Closes Season with Historic 12-11 Winning Record

Sunday, April 26

Indianapolis, Ind.

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Princeton University

CRAA/USA Rugby National Championships

Women’s Rugby Closes Season with Historic 12-11 Winning Record

April 26, 2026 | Women's Rugby

Tigers battle through six matches at Nationals, defeat Mount St. Mary's and push Davenport to double overtime in placement final

PRINCETON, N.J. — The Princeton University women's rugby team completed its most successful season in varsity program history at the CRAA 7s National Championship on April 25–26, 2026, finishing the spring 12–11 — the first winning record since the program achieved varsity status. The Tigers competed in six matches across the two-day tournament, earning a hard-fought victory over Mount St. Mary's and closing the weekend with a double-overtime placement final against Davenport University that captured everything this team is made of.

Day One: Competing Against the Field's Best
Princeton opened Nationals against Sacred Heart University, falling 26–0 in a match that nonetheless showed the Tigers' defensive identity. Myah Natorp '29 created a linebreak in the second half and the Princeton scrum won a critical set piece at 4:21 — moments that reflected a team competing at the highest level even against a sharp opponent.

The second match of the day brought Army, and Princeton's most compelling performance of the opening round. The Tigers went down 17–0 at the half — then came back to match Army point for point in the second, finishing 10–10 in the final half to close the game 27–10. Sam Handwerk '26 scored a try, Myah Natorp '29 contributed a linebreak, and Stella McBride '28 and Lindsey Mulligan '28 were singled out for work rate and ball recovery respectively. Winning a defensive scrum at 6:20 in the second half was a standout contact moment.

Quarterfinal: Army Rematch
Drawn against Army again in the quarterfinal bracket, Princeton fell 21–0 in a match where the opponent scored all their points in the first half. The Tigers responded by holding Army scoreless in the second — a second consecutive half in which Princeton matched Army, and a testament to the team's conditioning and competitive will across a long tournament day. Big contact moments came from Maizy Miller '29 and Natorp together, Annie Huettel '28, Lindsey Mulligan '28, and Handwerk at the breakdown. Stella McBride '28 and Miller generated linebreaks late.

Day Two: Resilience and a Statement Win
Princeton opened Day Two against Sacred Heart again, falling 27–0 — but Hazel Pron '29's ground work, Natorp's run and step, and linebreaks from Miller and Laura Barnds '27 provided individual moments that carried into the afternoon session.

Then came Mount St. Mary's.

Princeton won 29–0 — the program's big victory on the weekend and one of the most complete performances of the spring. The Tigers led 24–0 at the half and never let up. Laura Barnds '27 scored twice, with Ciara Loughran '26 adding a try and a conversion, Annie Huettel '28 and Stella McBride '28 each crossing the line, and Myah Natorp '29 earning a note for rugby IQ on a tackle-out sequence. The scrum won a defensive set piece at 1:20 in the second half; Annie Huettel '28 added another off scrum. It was the kind of game where the stat sheet runs out of room for things to celebrate.

The Placement Final: Double Overtime
Princeton met Davenport University in the placement final — and delivered the kind of match that will be talked about for a long time.
The Tigers went down 12–0 at the half. Then came back.

Princeton scored 12 unanswered points in the second half to tie the game at 12–12 and force overtime. The teams went scoreless through the first overtime period. In the second, Davenport scored the game-winner to take the match 19–12.

Princeton lost — but not before showing the nation what we're building at Princeton.

Senior Sendoff
The championship weekend marked the final collegiate appearances for three seniors who defined what Princeton Women's Rugby looks like in its varsity era.

Captain Sam Handwerk '26 led in the #8 jersey all weekend — scoring, poaching, and competing at full tilt in every match. She wraps her Princeton career having led the program from its varsity foundations to its first winning season.

Captain Ciara Loughran '26 was a relentless, physical, smart and vocal presence across all six matches, capping her career with a try and two conversions in the Mount St. Mary's win. She exits having set the competitive standard this program will be measured against for years.

Annabelle Edwards '26 is in return-to-play mode and served as mission command for the team all weekend — running the sideline, in the data, in the details, staying a step ahead at every moment. Her presence was felt across every match.

What a way for our seniors to finish strong!

The Future Is Bright
Princeton's Nationals roster featured five freshmen, four sophomores, one junior, and two seniors. Two players stood out as emblematic of where this program is headed.

Maizy Miller '29 arrived at Princeton as a walk-on with no prior rugby experience. By the end of her first year she has become the team's most physically dominant presence — leading in work rate, contact moments, and the kind of fierce competitive energy that changes the tone of a match. Her trajectory across one year is extraordinary.

Hazel Pron '29 made her mark through intense excellence: smart positioning, fearless contact, composed decision-making under pressure. In every match this weekend, in many moments when something needed to go right, Pron found her way to the thick of the action.

A Season to Remember
Princeton Women's Rugby finishes the 2026 7s season with a record of 12–11 — the first winning season in program varsity history. The Tigers went undefeated at West Chester 7s (4–0), placed second at Tropical 7s in Tampa (5-1) — defeating reigning D1 National Champions Southern Nazarene in a 14-minute double-overtime semifinal — and competed at the CRAA 7s National Championship, winning their placement bracket match and pushing Davenport to yet another double-overtime in the final.

The program returns nearly its entire roster in the fall. Go Tigers!

Princeton Women's Rugby is coached by Lauren Rhode with assistant coach Kiki Morgan, graduate assistant Zoe Koniaris, certified athletic trainer Amy Graber, and strength & conditioning coach Ally Christman. Team managers Celia Watson and Annabelle Edwards supported operations throughout the championship weekend.