Over the weekend, the Norwich University Men's Rugby team competed in the Conference Sevens Series hosted by Bryant University to open sevens competition by taking home second place in the tournament.
 
In the tournament opener, the Cadets took on Coast Guard where Norwich started off strong with a kickoff return by Marius Edwards (Unity, N.H.) resulting in an unconverted try. The Bears would capitalize on some miscues knotting the game at five apiece at the halftime break. Out of the break, Norwich would notch four consecutive tries including sophomore Michel St-Juste (Atlantic City, N.J.) scoring twice, along with seniors Leo Clayburgh (Brussels, Belgium), and Rashawn Fraser (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), scoring once each leading to a 27-5 Cadet victory.
 
In game two against Bates, the Dirt Dogs put out a different lineup that started off slow but quickly found their footing and quickly went on a scoring rampage after an early Bobcat red card. Norwich's run included seven tries from six different players, as well as three conversions resulting in a resounding 41-0 win.
 
The Cadet momentum carried into the third game of the day against Holy Cross with an early try by Rashawn Fraser and conversion by Clayburgh put Norwich up 7-0 lead from the get-go. The Crusaders quickly pulled within two, However, Norwich would pull away by scoring three more times before the half where they held a 24-5 advantage. Clayburgh and Ben Steen (Sandwich, Mass.) each scored during the second half making the final score 36-5 to end round robin action.
 
After the break, Norwich took on UMass Lowell. A strong, early run by Frazier set up Clayburgh for the opening try as the rain and cold started to kick in. The Riverhawks quickly responded with their own converted try to tie the game. However, immediately prior the conclusion of the first half, Marius Edwards put the Cadets ahead for good. Jacob Sherman (Gahanna, Ohio) notched a try in the second half securing a 21-7 for Norwich and a berth in the first-place game against Endicott.
 
The Gulls jumped out to a 14-0 lead out of the gate with two converted tries early in the match. The Cadets replied with their own unconverted try by Marcus Inthavixay, but Endicott continued their pressure and would score again before the half making the score 19-5. The Cadets opened the second half start with a converted try by Leo Clayburgh to cut the deficit. But, the Gulls would notch three unanswered tries giving way to a 35-19 Endicott victory.
 
After a strong start to sevens competition, Norwich will look to build on their start when they visit the University of New Hampshire on April 1^st.