Rhode Island is in the USA Rugby Men's DII College Round of 16 after beating University of Vermont 15-7 Saturday.

Because the play-in seeds had to be decided before this weekend, Coast Guard was named the #2 team out of NECRC before the final weekend, thus allowing the Bears to play in the Play-in game against IUP. So today's game between Vermont and Rhode Island was a winner-take-all game.

Vermont was the only team to have beaten URI, 32-5 in Burlington earlier this season, but in this game, the Rhode Island defense showed up.

"We tackled very, very well," said URI Head Coach Warren Boothman. "They scored one try right at the end of the first half, and otehr than that didn't get close until the end of the game."

Wing Alex Sabitoni scored a try midway through the first half on an interception and a 70-meter run. Anthony Kenneder kicked the conversion and added a penalty to make it 10-0 before UVM scored to make it 10-7 at halftime.

Midway through the second half, prop Darryl Brooks powered over to give his side a little breathing room, and that's all they needed.

It was a windy game, but, oddly, the team that ran against the wind held possession more successfully. But while UVM dominated possession in the second half, URI's defense held them out. 

So that clinches the NECRC championship for Rhode Island. Vermont, which lost twice to Coast Guard and once to Rhode Island, had a very good season, but just misses out on a playoff position.