Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University men's soccer team had its winning streak snapped at eight straight with a 1-0 loss to Johnson & Wales (R.I.) on Monday afternoon on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
Johnson & Wales' Rob Zukofsky scored on a diving header in the 61st minute off an assist from Doug Kase to provide the game's only scoring. With the victory, Johnson & Wales (9-4-1, 5-1-0 GNAC) took over sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings from Norwich.
Johnson & Wales also picked up its first victory over Norwich (10-4-1, 4-1-1 GNAC) since the 2007 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship. The Cadets were 6-0-2 against JWU over the last eight games coming into Monday.
Kase set up the goal by collecting a long pass from midfield on the left wing and then dribbled toward the end line. He got around a Norwich defender and laid a crossing pass over to the center of the net that Zukofsky was first to with a diving header to put the Wildcats up 1-0. The goal was Zukofsky's second of the year with Kase notching his team-leading sixth assist.
Johnson & Wales controlled the possession and pace of the game from the outset, outshooting Norwich 7-1 in the first 45 minutes. However, neither side was able to get a ball across the line.
JWU opened up the second half with the best chance of the game in the 47th minute when Kase had a point blank header that NU senior goalkeeper Christian Hallstrom (Las Vegas, Nev.) was able to gobble up and not allow a rebound on.
Johnson & Wales continued to hold the advantage for large portions of the second half, outshooting Norwich 10-4 in the half.
Norwich didn't record its first shot on goal until 10:50 to go when sophomore Alec Brigante (Colchester, Vt.) put a shot on goal off Bristol playing the ball with his chest over to him. However, Brigante right footed strike was smothered by JWU junior goalkeeper Ryan Dzierawski to spoil the Cadets' best scoring chance of the game.
Dzierawski picked up the victory for JWU, earning his shutout of the season and improving to 8-2-1. Hallstrom made four saves for Norwich, falling to 10-4-1 on the year.
Norwich will look to get back on track when it travels to Rivier on Saturday for a 6 p.m. start. The Cadets then take on Emmanuel on Wednesday, Oct. 22, before closing the regular season at home against Mount Ida on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m.
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