NORTHFIELD, Vt. – In its first year in Division I, the Norwich University women's rugby team has risen to the top of the national tables and earned a trip to the National Sweet-16 with their 112-0 victory over University of Rhode Island in the New England Women's Collegiate Rugby Conference (NECRC) championship. The conference title is the fourth straight league or conference title for the Cadets and their first in the first division.
Freshman center Ally Day (Gorham, Maine) went on a first half scoring rampage accounting for five Norwich tries. Day scored four tries in the final nine minutes of the first half, using both her speed and toughness in the point of contact and leaving a trail of Rhode Island defenders in her wake.
Joining Day with multi-try performances were freshman flanker Hannah Bell (Newberg, Ore.) and freshman lock Valerie McGuire (Felts Mills, N.Y.), who both notched a pair of tries. Sophomore #8 Vanessa Champagne (St. Naziere, Quebec) and junior fullback Rose Bernheim (Mountain Home AFB, Idaho) also ran in two tries apiece.
Senior wing Andrea Vogt (Dedham, Mass.) and junior wing Joya Clark (Scotia, N.Y.) each scored a try down the flanks of the field, while junior prop Tiffany Ferrer (Canyon Lake, Calif.) ran one up the middle. Sophomore scrum-half Emily Oor (Uxbridge, Ontario) touched down for one and junior center Jackie Derocher (Northwood, N.H.) also notched one in the second half. Senior flyhalf Emily Baugus (Kingsville, Texas) was 11 of 18 on conversions.
"We wanted to play our best music of the fall season today," said NU head coach Austin Hall. "We wanted to express our passion and work rate in one 80 minute final song of the fall season. To that end, we were successful. We played with beauty and intensity. It was my pleasure to listen to this team express so much rhythm and melody in the championship match."
The 15's rugby season will reconvene in the spring when the Cadets will join the top 16 teams in the country for the USA Rugby National Championships. In the interim, the Cadets begin preparations for the National Seven's Championships at Texas A&M on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
Norwich (13-0 overall) reached triple digits for the fourth time this season and outscored its opponents 1,022-36 on its way to romping through the fall season.
Tries: Day-5, Bell-2, Bernheim-2, Champagne-2, McGuire-2, Clark, Derocher, Ferrer, Oor, Vogt.
Conv: Baugus 11/18
Line-up: 1 – Annis (Ferrer), 2 – Cataldo (Weeden), 3 – Aye (Zaweski), 4 – McGuire (Blankenship), 5 – Weppner, 6 – Gunn (Inouye), 7 – Bell, 8 – Champagne, 9 – Oor, 10 – Baugus, 11 – Clark, 12 – Day (Derocher), 13 – Colesworthy, 14 – Vogt, 15 – Bernheim
-CADETS-
