NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Norwich University men's rugby team completed a perfect New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference (NEWCRC) regular season with a 46-0 victory over Coast Guard on Saturday afternoon.
Norwich (5-1, 5-0 NEWCRC) was led by two tries from junior prop Arthur Martinez (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and senior #8 Jack Tellifson (Bow, N.H.) each as the Cadets clinched the No. 1 seed for Pool A in the NEWCRC playoffs set to get underway next weekend. Norwich will host Univ. of Vermont again in the NEWCRC semifinals at the Dog River Pitch. Pool B top-seed UMass Lowell will host Providence in the other semifinal.
The two winners will meet in the NEWCRC Championship on Saturday, Nov. 6 with an automatic bid into the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division II National Tournament.
Norwich raced out to a 24-0 halftime lead and then added 22 more points in the second half.
Junior flyhalf Leo Clayburgh (Brussels, Belgium) scored a try and had three conversions on the day. Senior Travis Bartniski (Cypress, Texas), junior Yandres Cintron (Vegabaja, Puerto Rico) and sophomore Jacob Sherman (Gahanna, Ohio) each scored one try to round out the Cadets' offense.
Norwich entered Saturday's game as the new No. 1 ranked team in the NCR Division II National Coaches Poll. The Cadets have outscored their opponents 246-38 in league play so far this season.
