DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New England women's rugby team cruised to a 31-5 victory over the University of New Hampshire in its first 15s match of the season Saturday afternoon on the road.
 
UNH scored early, but the Nor'easters dominated from that point forward, starting with a match-tying try from Sarah Daggett, then a go-ahead score by Maeve McNulty. Sally Baptista turned in consecutive tries, and Tori Demers added insurance to wrap up the scoring.
 
Caroline Rhodes recorded three conversions in five tries, good for six points, while Baptista claimed the match-high with 10.
 
"We had a solid defense effort throughout the match today," head coach Ashley Potvin said. "It was great to see improvement from last week, particularly in our completed tackles and tackle assists."
 
Rhodes and Annabella Lafond were crucial in the defensive effort – both consistently and reliably securing crucial tackles.
 
"Offensively, the team evolved over the course of the match, as they maintained possession for longer periods of time and showed much more continuity on the pitch," Potvin added.
 
UNE is idle until Friday, Oct. 2 when Colby visits Blue Storm Stadium at 7 p.m.