OBETZ, Ohio - A back-and-forth thriller came down to the final meters, as the Norwich University men's rugby team saw its 2025 postseason run come to a close in a 36-32 loss to Scranton University on Friday afternoon in the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) Division II Sweet 16 round at Fortress Obetz Stadium.
Norwich built multiple double-digit leads and received a hat trick from senior
Jake Peterson (Trumbull, Conn.), but a relentless Scranton comeback flipped the match late as the Mid-Atlantic champions stormed back with 31 second-half points to snatch victory.
The Cadets opened strong with three first-half tries from Peterson,
Hyan Mesa (Talofofo, Guam), and
Brandon Smith (Charlotte, N.C.) and successful conversions by Mesa and
Joe Whiteside (Killingworth, Conn.) to jump out to a 17-0 advantage by the 29th minute.
Scranton managed a key try just before halftime, surging after a Norwich yellow card and cutting the lead to 17-5 heading into the break.
Peterson powered through for his second and third tries early in the second half, pushing the margin to 29-12 by the 50-minute mark. Mesa later drilled a penalty kick to make it 32-24 with under 10 minutes to play. But Scranton capitalized late, charging ahead with tries in the 72nd and 75th minutes, ultimately holding off a final Cadet push at the one-meter line as time expired.
The dramatic loss ends Norwich's fall campaign and closes out the program's ninth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The Cadets have reached at least the Elite Eight in six of those years and made five Final Four runs, including a third-place national finish in 2024.
"I am so proud of how our Norwich ruggers battled today. We just came up a bit short in the end," said Head Coach
Bob Weggler. "This young and inexperienced team that showed for preseason in August has come so far in their rugby development over the course of the season. What more can you ask of these athletes? They are a joy to coach."
Scranton advanced to the Midwest Regional Final but fell to fourth-seeded Grand Valley State, 34-26, in the Elite Eight. No consolation match was played between Norwich and top-seeded Northern Iowa, concluding the Cadets' 2025 postseason.
The Cadets will now transition into the offseason, and will look to return to the national spotlight during the 7s season, after qualifying for the CRC Men's Division II Cup last spring.
