NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's rugby team opened conference play in emphatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, rolling past the University of New Hampshire, 50-12, in front of a lively Homecoming Weekend crowd on the Graveyard Pitch.

Backed by strong support from alumni, faculty, and friends, the Cadets put on a commanding performance, controlling both tempo and territory throughout the match.  After a scoreless opening 10 minutes, senior Jake Peterson (Trumbull, Conn.) broke through at the 10:30 mark to give Norwich its first try of the day, with freshman Aeden Kerr (Hillside, N.J.) converting for a 7-0 lead.

From there, Norwich poured it on.  Sophomore Brandon Smith (Charlotte, N.C.) notched his first collegiate try, while junior John Kelly (Madison, N.J.) and All-American Jeff Pappalardo (Boxford, Mass.) each added scores of their own.  Peterson punched in a second try before the half, with Kerr converting three of the four additional tries to send the Cadets into the break with a 33-0 advantage.

New Hampshire responded early in the second half with an unconverted try, cutting the deficit to 33-5, but Norwich answered quickly as senior Sonny Mammaro (Asbury, N.J.) powered in a try of his own.  The match settled into a back-and-forth battle until the closing minutes, with both defenses standing tall.

In the final five minutes, Pappalardo crossed the line for his second try of the afternoon, converted again by Kerr, while the Wildcats managed a converted try of their own.  Junior Carson Herzfeld (Shaftsbury, Vt.) capped the day with an unconverted try in the closing seconds to deal the 50-12 win.

The Cadets now turn their attention to their first road conference matchup of the fall, traveling to face Boston University on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7:00 p.m.