ALBANY, N.Y. - The Norwich University men's rugby team continued its 2026 spring 7s campaign on Saturday at the Liberty 7s Tournament, hosted by the University at Albany, turning in an impressive 4-1 performance to secure a third-place finish against a competitive field.
The Cadets showcased offensive firepower and depth throughout the day, outscoring opponents 135-43 while producing 20 total tries across five matches.
Norwich opened the tournament with a 19-5 victory over Stony Brook. After conceding an early try, freshman
James Fagley (Vernon, Vt.) answered with a finish in the corner to even the score at 5-5. The Cadets seized control in the second half, as
Jake Peterson (Trumbull, Conn.) and freshman
Hyan Mesa (Talofofo, Guam) delivered back-to-back converted tries, with Mesa adding both conversions to secure the win.
The Cadets carried that momentum into their second matchup, earning a 31-5 victory over Rochester Institute of Technology. Norwich built a halftime advantage behind a pair of tries from Fagley before pulling away in the second half. Peterson, Fagley, and
Owen Boullion (Bow, N.H.) each crossed for tries during a decisive stretch, while
Dumisani Janda (Harare, Zimbabwe) converted all three scores. RIT added a late try to round out the scoring.
Norwich delivered its most dominant performance of the day in a 40-0 shutout of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Cadets controlled play from the outset, stringing together three consecutive first-half tries from Janda,
Eric Forcier (Colchester, Vt.), and Boullion, all converted by Janda. In the second half, Boullion added his second try of the match, while Peterson and
Sebastian Yates each contributed scores. Both second-half conversions were successfully completed by
Eegan Karmya (Livingston, N.J.).
The Cadets faced their toughest test of the day against host Albany, falling 19-14 in a tightly contested matchup. Albany capitalized early with an interception to take a 7-0 lead before Fagley responded with a try, converted by Janda, to level the score at 7-7. Albany regained control with two tries to build a 19-7 advantage, but Norwich continued to battle. Boullion closed the gap with a converted try to make it 19-14, and the Cadets pushed in the final seconds, but were unable to find the equalizer as the whistle signaled the end.
The loss placed Norwich into the third-place final, where the Cadets rebounded with a 26-12 victory over Drexel University. Norwich jumped out to a 12-0 lead behind tries from
Joe Whiteside (Killingworth, Conn.) and
Max Wiatrak (Wyckoff, N.J.) before Drexel answered with a converted try to make it 12-7 at halftime. The Cadets took control in the second half, as Boullion and Peterson each scored to extend the lead to 26-7. Drexel added a final try at the whistle to close the scoring.
Albany, which finished 5-0 on the day, defeated the University of Vermont, 24-17, to claim the 2026 Liberty 7s Cup Championship.
"An excellent day of 7s rugby, our only loss to Albany, the Liberty 7s champion," said Head Coach
Bob Weggler. "The boys went 4-1, outscoring their opponent 135-43, scoring twenty tries. Not a bad day for such a young group."
Norwich will return home to host the annual Chris Munn 7s Rugby Tournament on Saturday, Apr. 4, in Northfield, Vt. The men's competition is set to begin at 12:20 p.m., with the Cadets facing Boston University, the University at Albany, and Middlebury College. The Norwich women will open the day at 8:20 a.m., with all matches scheduled to take place on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
