NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University men's soccer team battled through a hard-fought contest against Emmanuel College on Saturday evening at Sabine Field, but a goal in the final seconds of regulation proved to be the difference as the Cadets fell to the Saints, 1-0.
Norwich and Emmanuel played to a scoreless first half, with both teams looking to establish an offensive rhythm and find an opening in the opposing defense. The Cadets remained competitive throughout the opening 45 minutes, keeping the game within reach as the teams headed into halftime without a goal on the scoreboard.
Coming out of the break, Norwich continued to search for its first goal of the evening while working to create scoring opportunities. The Cadets put pressure on the Emmanuel defense and looked to capitalize on their chances as the second half progressed. With the contest still scoreless, every opportunity became increasingly important as Norwich looked to break the deadlock and gain an advantage on its home field.
The Cadets had one of their best opportunities to take the lead in the 69th minute after earning a penalty kick. Norwich had a chance to put the pressure on the Saints and move in front, but the attempt was missed over the bar, keeping the score tied at 0-0. Despite missing the opportunity, the Cadets continued to compete in a tightly contested matchup as the game moved into its closing stages.
Norwich continued to look for the breakthrough, putting shots toward goal and attempting to find a way past the opposing goalkeeper. The Cadets finished the evening with seven total shots, placing five on target, but were unable to turn those opportunities into a goal. Norwich's efforts to find an equalizer began to take on added urgency as the final minutes of regulation approached, with the score remaining level.
Late in the game the Cadets went down a man after Miles Bergeson (Charlotte, Vt.) received a straight red card for a reckless tackle that saw Norwich go down to 10 men in the last 12 minutes.
With the game seemingly headed toward a dramatic finish, Emmanuel found the decisive goal at the 90-minute mark. The late strike came in the final minute of regulation, breaking the scoreless tie and putting Norwich behind, 1-0. The Cadets were unable to find an answer before the final whistle, as the late goal handed Norwich a difficult defeat on Sabine Field.
In goal for the Cadets, Victor Kalorin (Burlington, Vt.) recorded two saves, helping Norwich remain in contention throughout the contest. Despite the defensive effort and opportunities created at the other end of the field, the Cadets came up just short in a matchup decided by the final moments.
Norwich will look to regroup following the narrow loss and turn its attention toward its next contest on Tuesday against New England College.
