In what was a battle of two undefeated teams coming in, the Norwich Men's Rugby team took on the University of Maine in the New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference (NEWCRC) Championship.

Ben Steen began the scoring with a penalty kick and Marius Edwards added a try to give the Cadets an early eight-point lead with Norwich dominating most of the territory in the first half, but the Black Bears kept the game within striking distance. UMaine scored a converted try in the closing minutes to make it a one-point game at halftime.

To open the second half Edwards scored his second try of the evening off a scrum and kicked the conversion to pad the Cadet lead. But the Black Bears responded by scoring their second converted try to draw within a point once again.  

Play would seesaw back and forth until Maine went ahead for the first time, on a penalty kick in the last five minutes. Will Moulton would put pressure at the ruck following the kickoff to get a turnover and give Norwich the momentum. As the Cadets pushed for the win, the Black Bears forced a turnover to ice the game, earning a 17-15 victory.

Both teams will represent NEWCRC at the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) National Sweet Sixteen on Nov. 17 and 19. Norwich will head to the Culpeper, Va. bracket of four for their seventh straight appearance in the NCR Sweet 16.