CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Sacred Heart University women's rugby team fell on the road on Saturday afternoon at Harvard, 50-17, in National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) play in Cambridge, Mass. 

The Crimson got the scoring going this afternoon with a try 8:28 into the match before hitting the conversion to build a 7-0 lead. 

SHU answered at 25:40 after an outstanding play from Maria-Jean Paulino. After a lineout win, the Pios swung the ball to the left before Reese Torticill sent a kick up the field that took a SHU bounce to Paulino. Paulino then grabbed the ball on the fly and sped past all defenders on her way to a try. Torticill hit the ensuing conversion to tie the score at 7-all. 

Unfortunately for the Pioneers, Harvard went on to score 14 of the next 17 points before the end of the first half to build a 21-10 advantage going into the break. SHU's three points come off a made penalty kick by Torticill with 45.5 seconds on the clock. 

The Crimson continued to add points in the second half, going ahead 45-10 before SHU scored again. 

The Pios' next points came from Ashley Torres-Brown with 11:32 left in the game. Off a ruck in front of the try line, Torres-Brown fought through a tackle and carried the ball and a defender across the line to make it 45-15 before another Torticill conversion made it 45-17. 

Harvard scored the final points of the game, icing a 50-17 win with another try. 

The Pioneers continue NIRA play on Saturday, Oct. 18, with a 1 p.m. match at nearby Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn.