NEWPORT, R.I. - The Norwich University football team returned to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday afternoon, falling to Salve Regina University, 34-6, at Toppa Field.
The Seahawks established control behind a steady rushing attack and favorable field position, building a 17-0 halftime advantage before adding 17 more points after the break. Norwich continued to compete through the fourth quarter, eventually breaking through when Landon Beecher (Holliston, Mass.) connected with Anderson Guerrero (Boston, Mass.) for a three-yard touchdown.
Salve Regina finished with 382 yards of total offense, including 213 on the ground, while Norwich was held to 109 total yards. The Seahawks also benefited from field position throughout the afternoon, scoring twice on possessions that began inside the Norwich 10-yard line.
Norwich's defense held firm early.
After a Salve Regina punt pinned the Cadets at their own one-yard line, Norwich was forced to punt the ball back, giving the Seahawks possession at the Norwich 22. The defense responded immediately, however, turning Salve Regina away on fourth-and-four when Corey Stone (Piscataway, N.J.) broke up a pass to end the possession.
Salve Regina eventually broke through later in the opening quarter, marching 44 yards in six plays before Padraig Brown scored from one yard out to give the Seahawks a 7-0 lead with 2:41 remaining.
Field position again worked against Norwich early in the second.
A blocked punt gave Salve Regina possession at the Cadet four-yard line, and the Seahawks converted on the very next snap to extend the margin to 14-0. Salve Regina later added a 23-yard field goal midway through the quarter to make it 17-0.
Norwich mounted its best drive of the opening half on the ensuing possession.
Beginning at its own 25, the Cadets moved 46 yards across 12 plays and consumed more than five-and-a-half minutes. Beecher found Declan Lay (Brunswick, Maine) for a 25-yard gain before connecting twice with Jahmir Dixon (Philadelphia, Pa.), including a 10-yard completion on fourth-and-four to keep the drive alive.
Beecher later scrambled five yards to move Norwich inside the Salve Regina 25, but the drive ended when the Seahawks came away with a fumble at their own 29.
The Cadet defense answered with another stop, forcing a turnover on downs near midfield to give Norwich possession with less than two minutes remaining before halftime.
The Seahawks extended the lead with a 26-yard field goal early in the third quarter, but Norwich's defense produced one of its biggest plays of the afternoon moments later.
After Salve Regina recovered a fumble at the Norwich eight-yard line, the Seahawks appeared poised to add to their advantage. Instead, penalties pushed the hosts backward before Michael Camara (Dracut, Mass.) intercepted a pass at the Norwich seven and returned it five yards, keeping the Seahawks out of the end zone.
Salve Regina later added a seven-yard rushing touchdown late in the third to push the lead to 27-0.
Norwich began to move the ball more effectively late in the quarter, with Beecher connecting with Dixon and Fionn Parker-Cummings (Bangor, Maine) to convert a fourth down and work the Cadets toward midfield.
The Seahawks added their final touchdown early in the fourth on a 64-yard completion, stretching the margin to 34-0.
Norwich answered immediately.
After Iverson Brandon (Bartow, Fla.) returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards and a Salve Regina facemask penalty moved the Cadets into Seahawk territory, Beecher connected with Dixon for seven yards.
Will Patenaude (Goffstown, N.H.) followed with an 11-yard rush to move Norwich to the Salve Regina three-yard line.
Two plays later, Beecher found Guerrero in the end zone for the three-yard touchdown, completing a four-play, 36-yard scoring possession in just 1:30. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 34-6 with 9:26 remaining.
Beecher finished 17-of-33 through the air for 117 yards and one touchdown, while Hudsen Wish (Bethel, Conn.) completed one pass for seven yards late in the fourth. Norwich totaled 124 passing yards and did not throw an interception.
Dixon again served as Norwich's leading target, catching six passes for 44 yards. Lay added two receptions for 27 yards, while Parker-Cummings hauled in four passes for 26. Guerrero finished with two catches for eight yards and the touchdown.
Patenaude carried 14 times for 19 yards and added a six-yard reception. Salve Regina's pass rush created consistent pressure, recording four sacks while limiting Norwich to minus-15 net rushing yards.
Defensively, Stone paced the Cadets with 10 total tackles, including five solo stops, while also recording three pass breakups. Harry Ells (Centerville, Mass.) followed with seven tackles.
Brady Botelho (Essex Junction, Vt.), Gavin Shoup (Devon, Pa.), and Nick Markovitch (Bridgewater, N.J.) each finished with five tackles. Shoup recorded Norwich's lone sack, dropping the Salve Regina quarterback for a nine-yard loss, while Markovitch added a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
Elijah Torres (Bronx, N.Y.), Jack Daley (Weymouth, Mass.), Imari Milton (Miramar, Fla.), and John Dixner (Fenton, Mich.) each contributed four tackles.
Norwich finished with four tackles for loss, one sack, eight pass breakups, and Camara's interception. The Cadets also limited Salve Regina to four conversions on 15 third-down attempts and stopped the Seahawks on two of their three fourth-down tries.
Caleb Laisch (Alexandria, Va.) handled another heavy workload in the punting game, booting 12 punts for 359 yards with a long of 60. Two of his punts traveled at least 50 yards, including a 51-yarder that pinned Salve Regina at its own one-yard line late in the first half.
The Cadets will play the penultimate game of their 2026 regular-season schedule next Saturday, Nov. 7, traveling to Springfield, Mass., to face reigning NEWMAC champion Springfield College at 1:00 p.m.
Norwich will then return to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 14, welcoming Massachusetts Institute of Technology for Senior Day and the regular-season finale at 12:00 p.m.
