Box Score
Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Sophomore Jacob Zimmerman (Litchfield, N.H.) scored a hat-trick as the Norwich University men's soccer team dominated Suffolk University, 6-2 in the opening round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament Saturday evening at the Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
DJ Spears (San Antonio, Texas) and
Alec Brigante (Colchester, Vt.) also chipped in with a pair of goals each in the victory as the Cadets advance onto the semifinal round. Second-seed Norwich will host third-seed Lasell University, who defeated six-seed Emmanuel College, 5-3 Saturday afternoon.
Suffolk got on the board early into the game in the eighth minute of the first half as Juan Lazcano Bello scored the first goal of the contest to put the Rams up 1-0 with hopes of shocking the Cadets.
Luckily the effect did not fade Norwich as Spears scored the equalizer in the 24th minute on a pass from Zimmerman. 11 minutes later, Zimmerman would net his first goal of the contest as he connected on a lob from Brigante and drilled the ball into the back of the net to give the Cadets' its first lead of the game.
The barrage of goals begun to pile on in the second half as the Cadets never stepped off the gas. Brigante would net his first goal of the contest on a header off a corner kick from Moab Schiers (South Weber, Utah) in the 55th minute. Brigante scored his second goal 13 minutes later before Zimmerman netted his second goal in the 72nd minute to extend Norwich's 5-1 lead.
Suffolk continued to struggle on the defensive end throughout the half as Norwich outshot the Rams 14-8 in the second half as Zimmerman netted his third and Norwich's final goal before Suffolk managed to find the back of the net off of Bello's foot for the Rams' second goal with eight seconds remaining in the contest.
Senior goalkeeper
Christian Hallstrom (Las Vegas, Nev.) started in the net for Norwich and came up with four saves in the six shots faced on the night.
The Cadets will have very little time to prepare as they host third-seed Lasell College for the semifinal round of the GNAC Tournament on Tuesday, November 4th. The match is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start at Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
