WOMEN'S RUGBY

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Playing its second grueling match of the weekend, the Norwich women's rugby team battled its way to a 20-12 victory over New Hampshire on Sunday to win the New England Championship. The Cadets led 10-7 at the half, and they increased their pressure in the second half to secure the win.

Junior wing Ashley de Grasse, who was named NERFU tournament MVP, exploded with four tries on the afternoon. The forwards fought hard to retain and turn-over possession, while the backs used their speed and handling skills to set up de Grasse with scoring opportunities.

Sophomore scrumhalf Hailey Ribeiro excelled in her first start for the Wick, setting up her teammates with good ball and having a few strong runs of her own.

"As we've emphasized all season, this is a team game and every single member of our team made a contribution this weekend," said NU head coach Austin Hall. "We found a number of development opportunities after playing a team of New Hampshire's caliber, and we will work hard to improve during our final week."

With the win, Norwich (13-0) earns the No. 1 seed in the Northeast Final Four held at Bowdoin College. The Cadets will play Rutgers (5-1) on Saturday at 12 p.m. In the other semi-final, No. 2 seed New Hampshire (7-1) will play No. 3 seed SUNY-Brockport (7-0). The winners of each semifinal will play for the championship at 11 a.m. on Sunday for the opportunity to attend the USA Rugby Elite-8 held in the spring.