Men's rugby - NU battles Middlebury
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Norwich University's 2012 spring campaign continued April 14 with a clash against in-state foe Middlebury.
Middlebury jumped to an early lead in the first ten minutes from two uncoverted tries. The next thirty minutes, Norwich played their best rugby of the spring but was unable to convert into points. Junior hooker Pat McGrath (Marshhead, Mass.) did an excellent hooking while senior number eight Adam Medeiros (Fairhaven, R.I.) attacked well from the base of both the scrums and rucks. Norwich got its fair share of possession from hard-contested rugby at the point of contact but resulted in no points. The half ended with Middlebury leading 10-0.
In the second half, the experienced Middlebury team increased their ball possession and began to take advantage of Norwich’s inexperienced back three. The Panthers' outstanding flyhalf exposed Norwich weakness by kicking over the fullback or creating overloads in their backline attack. This resulted in thirty-two straight points. The match ended with a 42-0 Middlebury victory.
Norwich's B-side lost to Middlebury 32- 10. Junior John Cooper and freshman Dan Granson, playing in his first match, scored tries.
“Traveling with 37 players, with 10 new to rugby and considering we were missing key players due to drill, FTX, and work, was an accomplishment," Coach Bob Weggler said. "All who traveled got to play. The spring season is all about development and we achieved that today."
Norwich's freshman squad will further their development by taking on Champlain College April 15. Kick-off time is 3 p.m. at South Burlington High School.
