Box Score PAXTON, Mass. – The Norwich University men's soccer team's offense erupted to score six second half goals to blow past Anna Maria 7-0 on Wednesday night in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at AMCAT Field.
Freshman forward Alec Brigante (Colchester, Vt.) led the second half charge with a hat trick in a span of 6:52 to kick start the Cadet offense after it managed just one goal in the opening 45 minutes.
Fellow rookie striker Jacob Zimmerman (Litchfield, N.H.) scored twice to increase his team-leading total to seven, including the game-winning goal in the 17th minute to give Norwich a lead it would never look back from.
Senior defender Andy Dustin (Canterbury, N.H.) and junior midfielder Ryan Curley (East Haddam, Conn.) rounded out the Norwich goal scorers.
Norwich (10-3-3, 5-1-2 GNAC) has now scored 11 goals in its last two games, after scoring 22 in its first 14 games combined.
Norwich outshot Anna Maria 18-12 and stretched its unbeaten streak to five straight games.
Junior goalkeeper Greg Payne (State College, Pa.) got the start in net for the Cadets, turning aside all five shots he faced in 67:18, before being relieved by freshman Kevin Taylor (Natick, Mass.) for the final 22.42. Taylor made two saves to preserve the team shutout. Norwich now has 10 total shutouts on the season.
Norwich continued its streak of winning at least 10 games in all eight of head coach Kyle Dezotell's years at the helm of the Cadet men's soccer program.
Norwich moved into sole possession of second place in the GNAC standings with the victory and Johnson & Wales' scoreless tie against Albertus Magnus.
The Cadets close out the regular season on Saturday when they travel down to take on fifth-place Mount Ida in a crucial regular season finale weekend. Norwich can clinch a home quarterfinal matchup with at least a tie on Saturday.
