UMass Lowell slammed Merrimack College Friday night to keep their Rugby Northeast championship hopes alive.

The game began with Lowell kicking off and after several minutes of defense, a turnover ball led to Flyhalf Will DeCoste (Marshfield, Mass.) picking up a loose ball and scoring the first of two tries on the night. Several minutes later, quick hands through the backline gave outside center Mark Chandler (Milton, Mass.) his first of two tries as well. Chandler has been a standout for the Riverhawks throughout his freshmen year; through five games (he missed two due to injury), he has found the tryline 11 times. Also scoring on the night were wing Dave Barrionevau, prop Alex Bacon, scrumhalf Rob Mazzola, inside center Alex Sordello, wing Jack Gilette, Todd Dowrey, and Jeremy Smith. Smith, like Dowrey a scorer off the bench, scored twice. Sordello was 3-10 on conversions, and Hooker CJ Galluzzo kicked one.

Lowell travels to Burlington, Vt. next weekend and will play St. Michaels College where they'll close out the regular season. With the win last night, Lowell secures the #2 seed in Rugby Northeast, and will play Bentley University on 11/15 in Lowell for the RNE Championship, and a chance to advance to USA Rugby's National Round of 16.