Box Score CASTLETON, Vt. – Junior forward Joseph Thongsythavong (Salem, Mass.) recorded his fourth collegiate hat trick to lead the Norwich University men's soccer team to a 3-0 non-conference victory over Castleton University on Tuesday night at Dave Wolk Stadium.
Thongsythavong scored in the 36th, 57th and 58th minute to lead the Norwich offense to its fourth straight victory over its instate rivals to the south.
Junior goalkeeper Robert Wagenseller (Poway, Calif.) stopped all five shots he faced to earn his seventh career shutout.
Thongsythavong opened the scoring late in the first half after blocking a pass from Castleton's center back and then he was able to race in alone behind the Castleton defense. Thongsythavong dribbled in and then tucked a shot off his right foot into the bottom right corner of the net for the goal.
Thongysthavong extended the lead with two goals just 40 seconds apart early in the second half to assert the Cadets' control of the game.
Senior Amerle Nemeye (Burlington, Vt.) sent a beautiful crossing pass from the left to the far post to find a crashing Thongsythavong for his second goal of the game at the 56:49 mark.
Just 40 seconds later Thongsythavong scored again off a through ball from the right from Alex Brannan (Oneonta, N.Y.) to increase the lead to 3-0.
Norwich (3-1, 1-0 GNAC) played its first game since being ranked as the No. 7 team in the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Region I rankings.
Thongsythavong has now scored 21 goals in 24 career games for the Cadets. He tied Nemeye for the team lead in points with both potent offensive weapons tallying 11 points through four games.
The Cadets outshot Castleton 28-8.
Norwich will return home to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium for a crucial 1 p.m. Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) showdown with Saint Joseph's (Maine). The Monks haven't lost a regular season league game since 2015 and won three straight GNAC Tournament titles from 2016-2018.
