(Photo: Norwich top scorer Ally Day. David Orrick photo.)

New England is up and running, and the first week of league play has reinforced what fans were expecting: Norwich women still dominate. The reigning DII college champions joined NERFU’s DI competition this season and wasted no time logging the biggest score of the weekend: 152-0 over UConn.

While breaking the school record for the number of tries in a game (24) is certainly a hallmark, it’s the second entry the history books have noted this season. After winning the Montreal Irish Tournament over Labor Day weekend, Norwich defeated Army 34-15 on Sept. 8. No Norwich team – men or women – had beaten West Point since 1974.

That boost propelled the Cadets into the regular season, and Norwich built a 90-point lead in the first half against UConn. They “eased up” in the second stanza, worked the bench, and rounded out the 80 minutes with another 62 points.

Big scorer on the day was freshman wing Ally Day, who accounted for five tries. Rose Bernheim, Joya Clark and Corinne McElroy dotted down three; Riley Blankenship, Emily Oor, Andrea Vogt and Meaghan Weppner scored two; and Shanoui Gunn and Kayla Inouye added one apiece. Emily Baugus slotted 16 of 24 conversions.

Norwich should get more competitive games out of Boston University and Boston College later in the season, but fans should expect more big scores. BU toppled Northeastern 47-5 this weekend, and put Alex Hubelbank (2), Julia Gowesky (2), Ashley Teamer, Noel Coleman, Dee Nash, Keira Vinson and Isabell Whiteley over for tries. Gowesky added one conversion, while Northeastern got their lone score from Sanam Foroughi.

Boston College shut down UMass for a 39-5 win.

Norwich plays Northeastern this weekend, while Boston College takes on UConn. Rhode Island will play their first game of the season against UMass. Below are the current standings: