Unstoppable force met immoveable object in the final game of day one as powerhouse programs Norwich University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania duked it out for the right to face UNI on Sunday in the DII final. Every inch of territory in this match was paid for with lowered shoulders and churning legs and no discount codes were redeemed.

It was all elementary for IUP outside center Dominic Holmes, who had two scores in both the first and second halves of the contest. His first was the first of the game and came after he broke through what had to that point been a stalwart Cadet defense. But Norwich answered in short order with construction management major Jeffrey Pappalardo putting the finishing touches on a beautifully constructed string of phases by the Cadets to tie the game at 5 apiece. 

A battle of wills ensued with both teams playing physical and consistent defense for the majority of the half. Norwich threatened first with a series of probing carries inside the five meter line. They were eventually repelled by the IUP, however, who flipped the field on the Cadets and punched in the final points of the half with Holmes breaking through for his second score. Holmes very nearly scored what could have been a back-breaking try right before the half as he broke through a disorganized Norwich defense off a tap-and-go penalty and sprinted towards paydirt with visions of an opening-frame hat-trick dancing in his head. But a stellar defensive effort by sophomore winger John Kelly on a chasedown tackle forced Holmes to knock the ball on before he could touch it down and ended the half without further damage

That missed opportunity would come back to haunt the Crimson Hawks as Holmes' counterpart, outside center Marius Edwards, kept Norwich's championship dreams alive and evened the score at ten with a breakaway of his own to start the second half. Norwich took their first lead of the day after a bruising run by big man Will Moulton, who refused to be denied from in close.

But IUP answered in short order as Holmes added to his legend with his third score of the night to knot things up at 15 with less than ten minutes on the clock.

It seemed that both teams knew the fans couldn't get enough of this epic clash as they continued to answer the bell down the stretch, absorbing a series of body blows from their opponent but refusing to hit the mat, sending the match to overtime. Rain continued to swirl as the competitors readied themselves for a ten-minute sudden death period that would determine whose bumps and bruises would be healed by the salve of a semifinal win.

The back and forth battle spilled over into extra time as the teams went scoreless for the entirety of the first overtime. Not until the seventh minute of the second overtime period did Holmes cement his place in IUP legend by scoring his fourth and final try of the contest. The junior's super hat-trick will allow the Crimson Hawks a shot at back-to-back national titles after securing the first in program history in 2023.


"The boys played with tenacity and grit last night verse the defending National Champion, it took IUP almost 100 minutes to overcome Norwich, " said Head Coach Bob Weggler. "A battle for the ages, as stated on the internet, this year's squad is special not because of their talent but this team competes as a team, there is no drama, brothers bound together to compete with focus, persistence, and discipline. The Norwich ruggers left it all out on pitch for semifinal match. What more can a coach ask for. The rugby development from our first match against UVM in mid-September till now is tremendous. All because collectively each student-athlete bought in and locked in to get better as a team. This attitude resulted in an unselfish performance. Our coaching staff are so proud of them. They represent Norwich University with class."