BOSTON, Mass. – Norwich University men's rugby traveled to Boston University on Sunday for its final match of the regular season, taking on an undefeated Terriers squad. The Cadets rose to the challenge and battled throughout the contest, ultimately falling by a 34-10 margin.
Norwich opened the match with strong forward play, controlling much of the early action and setting a physical tone against the Terriers. Boston capitalized on its first scoring opportunity, however, crossing for an unconverted try to take an early lead. The hosts added two more unconverted tries to build a 15-0 advantage before the Cadets found their response late in the first half.
Freshman Nicholas Fortier (West Chesterfield, N.H.) provided the breakthrough for Norwich, touching down for an unconverted try to put the Cadets on the board and cut the deficit to 15-5 heading into halftime.
Boston came out of the break applying consistent pressure to the Norwich defensive line, eventually finding the try zone twice more with both scores converted to extend its advantage to 29-5. Despite facing the growing deficit, the Cadets continued to compete and answered with another unconverted try of their own, bringing the score to 29-10. The Terriers added one final unconverted try to close out the 34-10 result.
Despite the setback, Norwich delivered one of Boston's strongest defensive tests of the season. The Terriers entered the matchup with the largest point differential in the North Atlantic Conference Rugby (NACR), but the Cadets held them to their narrowest margin of victory during the regular season. Norwich's ability to limit the high-powered Boston attack reflected the team's defensive effort and determination throughout the contest.
With the regular season now complete, the Cadets will shift their focus to sevens competition as they begin preparing for the spring campaign. Norwich is set to compete in the Cianci 7s tournament in Seekonk, Massachusetts, before Thanksgiving break, providing the team with its first opportunity to build toward the upcoming spring season.
