MO BETTER: Princeton University women’s rugby player Malinka Kwemo (carrying ball) wards off a tackler in a game earlier this season. On September 21, sophomore back Kwemo went 7 for 9 on conversion attempts as Princeton defeated Bowdoin 59-0 to post its first-ever victory in varsity 15s competition after losing 15 straight since 2022 when the program moved up to the varsity level. The Tigers, who fell 46-5 to Brown last Saturday to drop to 1-3, play at Quinnipiac on October 5. (Photo by Shelley Szwast, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Over its first two seasons as a varsity 15s program, the Princeton University women’s rugby team went winless, dropping all 13 games it played in 2022-23.

But heading into this fall, Princeton was confident that it was on the verge of a breakthrough win.

“I think the team with the close score line, especially in one game last year with Mount St. Mary’s, we lost by one point (27-26), we felt OK,” said Princeton head coach Josie Ziluca. “We have had a few more additions to the team. We have grown and our understanding of the game has matured a bit.”

Even though Princeton started this fall by losing 67-0 to Sacred Heart on August 31 and falling 93-0 to Dartmouth on September 14, Ziluca saw progress.

“There are other considerations and goals in those games that we are trying to hit,” said Ziluca. “Something that we are always trying to develop is how good is our defensive system? The reality is that we play a lot of defense. Each person and their tackle completion rate is important, we need to get everyone’s percentage up in order for that system to operate at a higher level. On the attack, we are always still working on things. This group has a lot of fun and gets to express themselves on attack. It is fun but on defense it is a system.”

Heading into its match against Bowdoin on September 21, the Tigers sensed it would be a fun day for the program.

“We knew it was a good matchup,” said Ziluca. “Bowdoin has won the Division III championship quite a bit. It was a cross divisional match.”

Hungry for that first win, Princeton jumped out to an early 14-0 lead over the Polar Bears and never looked back on the way to a sweet 59-0 triumph.

“We put our foot to the pedal,” said Ziluca. “I said going in that it was a culmination game even though we are still in the beginning of our season. This is years in the making. They exhibited everything they have learned, everything they have been challenged upon. They challenged themselves and put it together to get it done and they kept pushing. We wanted it to be a statement. We have had a lot of shutout games against us and wanted to show we can do the same thing.”

Earning that first win was a special moment for the Tiger players.

“It was a lot of fulfillment to get a W — it certainly feels like you have completed something you have set out to do,” said Ziluca, who got three tries in the victory from sophomore wing Celia Watson with sophomore forward row performer Hannah Mulligan scoring a pair of tries and sophomore back Malinka Kwemo going 7-for-9 on conversion attempts. “It gives a chance for people to notice what has been done and the work that has been done. I think for them to be rewarded for that, it is just a proud badge of honor to wear.”

It was also a proud moment for Ziluca, who has led the women’s rugby team as its head coach since 2019 when it was a club program and oversaw the transition to the varsity level.

“I knew we were going to do well,” said Ziluca. “I feel so confident in this team and what they are capable of to get that badge of honor. So we have completed this. For me, this is a Division I team and we played a D-III team, the best of D-III. There is a difference and it was nice to do that. What’s next on the docket is to be able to have a good game, a winning game against a D-I team.”

Last Saturday, Princeton did some good things as it fell 46-5 to Brown to move to 1-3.

“I think our match with Brown, we proved a bit of that with the defense,” said Ziluca, whose team plays at Quinnipiac on October 5. “Defense is really the heart of a team. If you can prevent someone from scoring then you are in the game. Certainly tries were let in but Brown had to really work for them. We saw some incredible tackles that I don’t think Brown was expecting from us.”

A trio of sophomores — Watson, Kwemo and Laura Barnds — has been giving Princeton some good work in the backfield.

“Celia is a great attacking player, she has infused the team with a bunch of excitement in the back line,” said Ziluca. “She goes between outside center and wing. Malinka is a wonderful kicker but she is such a multi-dimensional player and is capable of so much. She has played fly half and fullback. She had some ridiculously insane tackles on Saturday. Laura has been playing outside center and a little bit of a wing. She came over from lacrosse and is a talented athlete. She has moved into rugby at an exciting speed, starting in these games.”

At forward, Mulligan and junior Samantha Handwerk have been leading the way.

“Hannah is a very tough player in contact, whether that be on attack or defense,” said Ziluca. “Samantha has moved all across the field, she was a back at one point. She has stepped up and in that Bowdoin game, she propped the entire game. She took it on and did so well.”

Featuring a gleaming new facility, Rickerson Field at Haaga House, and with U.S. women’s team winning a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, there is a buzz around the Princeton program.

“We recently had a very successful tryout period, we have added six players to our roster,” said Ziluca. “I think a lot of it is from the USA and the success in the Olympics. They have just started training with us, it will take them a little while to reach the maturity of a rugby player who can enter a game but we are really, really excited.”

Looking ahead, Ziluca is excited to see what the Tigers do over the rest of the fall.

“I am so lucky to be able to work with people who really focus on the process of learning a new skill,” said Ziluca. “We meet challenges together on things, it does provide an ability to have an accelerated path to learn rugby. They have all of the processes. They know how to do it and are having these moments that give them confidence. That Bowdoin win was one of them so it is a confirmation to say OK, I am doing this right. Let’s keep pushing. No opponent is too big for us, that is the grit we are always going to show in the game.”