BRISTOL, R.I. - The Roger Williams University Men's Rugby team kicked off their season with a dramatic win over Bryant University.  The Hawks defeated the Bryant Bulldogs 10-3 on Saturday afternoon in their first conference game of the season.

Roger Williams started the 2011 season strong against their in-state rival Bryant. The Hawks dominated the field territory and ball possession in the first half.  However, poorly placed kicks and unnecessary penalties provided Bryant the first scoring opportunity via a penalty kick.  Bryant converted the 20-meter kick, which proved to be their only scoring opportunity.

The Hawks then settled into their offense and resumed their strong play against the Bulldogs.  The team quickly moved into Bryant territory and regained the lost three points with a penalty conversion by Bernie Kiernan (Rockville Center, N.Y.).  With the score even, the Hawks turned up the pressure, not allowing another scoring opportunity by Bryant for the remainder of the game.

The second scoring opportunity resulted in strong defense by the Hawks.  Centers Dan Hanlon (C) and Carter Cry applied relentless pressure on the Bulldogs resulting in an intercepted pass by Kyle Casserino (Southington, Conn.) which resulted in  a 60m Try.  Conversion was successful by Bernie Kiernan.

Austin Fehringer put in another score early in the second half; however due to the positioning of the referee, the ball was incorrectly awarded to the Bulldogs.

The Roger Williams defense then took over.  The Hawks' defensive line was consistently set, not allowing Bryant the opportunity to stage a significant attack. 

The Hawks will second game against nationally-ranked Salve Regina University.