BOYDS, Md. - The Norwich University men's rugby team kicked off their 2025 Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) campaign with a strong performance on Friday, going 2-1 on day one of the Men's Division II Cup and earning a spot in the Plate Final on Saturday afternoon.

The Cadets, seeded No. 2 in the West Region, opened the day with a commanding 20-7 victory over seventh-seeded Memphis in the First Round.  Norwich came out firing, racing to a 20-0 lead behind two tries from Marius Edwards and a try each from Jake Peterson and Kristopher Wayton.  The Tigers responded late with a converted try, but Norwich's early dominance and physical defense closed out the win and sent the Cadets through to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinal round, the Cadets faced off against No. 3 Colorado Mesa in one of the most competitive matches of the day.  Colorado Mesa came out fast and physical, jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the opening five minutes.  But Norwich refused to fold.  A try and two conversions from Edwards, along with a try by John Kelly, helped spark a rally that brought the Cadets within seven.  Despite their furious comeback, time expired before Norwich could draw level, falling in a narrow 21-14 decision that pushed them into the Plate bracket.

Norwich responded in a big way in its third and final game of the day, delivering a dominant 31-5 win over top-seeded Northwestern, which had been upset earlier in the day by UNC-Wilmington.  The Cadets imposed their will early, building a 31-0 lead before Northwestern added a late try.  Kelly led the way with two tries, while Peterson chipped in a try and a conversion.  Edwards and Wayton each added a conversion, while Kyle Krebs and Jeffrey Pappalardo scored one try apiece.

With the win, Norwich advances to the Plate Championship match on Saturday at 12:40 p.m., where the Cadets will meet East Region No. 1-seed Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), a program with a decorated national resume.  The Crimson Hawks, winners of both the 2022 and 2023 CRC national championships and back-to-back 15s titles in 2023 and 2024, also rebounded from an early upset to reach the Plate Final after a win over Scranton.

The CRC Division II Cup final four will feature UNC-Wilmington, Colorado Mesa, Montana State, and Coastal Carolina.

Individually, Marius Edwards sits among the tournament's leading scorers after one day of action, ranking fifth overall with 21 points on three tries and three conversions.

The Cadets close out their national tournament on Saturday, looking to finish strong in the Plate Final against one of the premier programs in the nation.