BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Norwich University men's rugby battled hard in the 2025 North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby (NACR) Championship on Sunday afternoon but came up short against the top-ranked team in the country, falling to the University of Vermont, 43-10, at the UVM Rugby Pitch.

With the result, the Cadets officially secured the NACR runner-up trophy and earned their ninth consecutive berth to the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division II Sweet Sixteen.  Norwich will now head west to Columbus, Ohio, for the national tournament, with opening-round action slated for Friday, Nov. 21.

The Cadets opened the match on the front foot, driving deep into UVM territory, but a momentum-shifting intercepted pass led to a 60-meter try for the Catamounts.  That early score ignited a 31-point first-half surge by Vermont, who took control of the match by the break.

Norwich held firm in the second half, playing the top-ranked Catamounts evenly across the final 40 minutes.  Jake Peterson (Trumbull, Conn.) broke through for Norwich's first try of the afternoon, followed by a second-row score from Tejuan Hammons (Hampton, Va.) to close out the Cadets' offense.

For his efforts, Peterson was selected by the NACR Game Managers as Norwich's Man of the Match.

"It was similar to Halloween on the scoreboard, but we played much more in attack," said head coach Bob Weggler.  "We played with heart and grit.  I am so proud of our guys."

Sunday's result echoed last week's regular season finale between the two programs, a 42-12 UVM win under the lights at Sabine Field.  Just like in 2024, Norwich and Vermont squared off for the NACR title, continuing one of the most competitive rivalries in the league.

With a balanced and experienced lineup, Norwich heads into the national bracket led by Peterson, Doran Schwartz (Akron, Pa.), Aedan Kerr (Hillside, N.J.), and Jeff Pappalardo (Boxford, Mass.).  The Cadets will now set their sights in another deep postseason run after a third-place national finish last fall.

Details on the Columbus regional will be announced later this week.