The first game of the Regional playoffs, and the first ever playoff game in the newly formed women’s DI-AA competition, was held in Obetz, Ohio on Friday, November 14, and saw #2 Virginia take down #7 Purdue 39-19 to advance to the semifinal round on Sunday.

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Virginia looked like a team determined to make it out of the first round after their 2024 campaign ended with a quarterfinal loss to Wheeling, the eventual national champs. They showed off their athleticism early in this contest, quickly going up two scores thanks to runs by Lexa Neufeld and Faridah Aboueid in the first ten minutes. Inside center Brielle Karjane scored soon after and Milena Keene converted to put the Flos up 17-0 in what seemed like a potential runaway victory.

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But the Boilermakers never let the favorites in this one rest. Relishing their role as underdogs that they cultivated throughout the season in triumphs over Big Ten foes Ohio State and Michigan, Purdue continued to push the champs from the South Atlantic. Tessa Weisgerber scored after a lackluster kick chase effort by Virginia and Sophie Bonnici hit the conversion to keep the game close in the first half. Weisgerber’s teammates Tiara Mason and Carmella Campbell touched the ball down in the second half each time the Flos started to pull away.

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Virginia kept their cool throughout, however and two late penalty kicks by Keene and a try at the final whistle by Jaeda Fontaine-Rasaiah sealed the deal. Emmaline Lebuhn and Hannah Tittermary were the other tryscorers for the Flos. 

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Virginia will now face a Northeastern team that blitzed the #1 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their quarterfinal match, 41-7, in the most shocking result on the day. 

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The Mad Dogs came out of the gate like, well, mad dogs, with a huge run by Kourtney Bichotte-Dunner off the opening kick setting up scrumhalf Ysabel Del Fierro to score under the posts. Sydney Joslin nailed the conversion afterwards, but Bichotte-Dunner was injured on the play, leaving Northeastern without one of their top playmakers for the rest of the contest.

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The unfortunate injury did not slow the Mad Dogs down at all, however, as they continued to parade through the try zone, shredding an absolutely stunned Fighting Irish side generally accustomed to doing this kind of thing unto others, not having it done unto them. After going down two scores, Notre Dame appeared frantic at times, which led to unforced errors that Northeastern were delighted to capitalize on. Winger Jolene Russo had two more tries in the first half and lock Ella Hughes added one of her own. Another Joslin conversion put Northeastern up 24-0 at the break.

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Joslin owned the start of the second half for Northeastern with a penalty goal and a converted try of her own to put the Mad Dogs up 34-0. Northeastern’s suffocating defense certainly didn’t help Notre Dame regain their composure, as they failed to cross even the 50-meter mark for much of the contest. The only spark for the Fighting Irish came with the game well out of reach when flyhalf Lucy Wilson finished off a nice string of phases to get Notre Dame on the board. But any hopes of a comeback were short-lived, as Russo dotted it down on the other end not even two minutes after Wilson’s score to complete her hattrick and put the exclamation point on the dominant victory by the Dogs. 

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There was a bruising back and forth affair on the other side of the bracket between #6 Lander and #12 Colorado, which saw the High Peaks champion Buffs take down the higher-seeded Bearcats 38-31 in Springfield, MO.

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If you can believe it, a game that ended with 69 total points was tied 5-5 at the half with both teams playing tight, physical defense. Lander put the first points on the board but the Buffs answered soon after and the score was knotted until well into the second half.

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Once fatigue started to factor in, however, the defenses for both teams broke down and the scoring floodgates opened. Lander took the lead again, 12-5, midway through the second half. A second successive score put the Bearcats up 17-5 and had the potential to serve as the knockout blow in this heavyweight bout. Colorado were able to steady themselves, however, and answered right back with a converted try to make it 17-12.

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The Buffs finally found the spark they were looking for, when number 8 Lucia Hoffman broke several tackles on a huge scoring run that galvanized the sideline. Colorado tacked on the conversion to give themselves the late 19-17 lead. Amelia Stotland was 4 for 6 on conversion attempts on the day for Colorado.

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It was their first lead of the day and one they would not surrender despite consistent pressure by Lander, who were not ready for their season to be over.

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Prop Hannah Bedore had two tries for Colorado, as did Hoffman. Noelle Behr and Bridgette Lindblad each had one try apiece for the Buffs as well. The team will now have one day to recover from this fight before taking on #3 Northern Iowa in the semifinals on Sunday after the Panthers made short work of the #5 Texas Longhorns in a 38-17 victory.

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Much like Northeastern did to Notre Dame, UNI came firing out of the gate against Texas, putting up most of their points in the first half before the Longhorns even had time to say ‘Howdy!’

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Inside center Avery Bird got things going for the Panthers, bullying her way into the try zone and taking the kick afterwards. Bird’s backline mate Solana Gruthuis scored soon after, followed by All-American flyhalf Morgan Linck, who had back-to-back breakaway scores, one of which came off of a well-timed interception. Bird would add her second of the day right before the end of the half and her third at the beginning of the second. 

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Flyhalf Madison Chapman would be the one to finally get the Longhorns on the board midway through the second half once most of the damage had already been done. Autumn Young followed up Chapman’s score with two impressive tries of her own. But time eventually ran out on Texas’ season and UNI will move into the semifinal round on Sunday.

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Watch all matches on NCR’s YouTube channel.