NASHUA, N.H. – The Norwich University men's soccer team punched its ticket to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship in emphatic fashion Wednesday night, taking down Rivier University, 4-1, in the semifinal round at Joanne Merrill Field. The victory not only sends the Cadets to their first conference championship game since 2023, but also delivers a measure of redemption after last season's heartbreaking semifinal defeat to the Raiders on the same field.
With a championship berth on the line, Norwich left little doubt that it was ready for the moment, finding the back of the net twice in each half to secure the three-goal victory. The result marks a significant milestone for a program that has continued to build momentum under Head Coach Rob Emmett, and puts the Cadets just one win away from accomplishing something that has eluded Norwich men's soccer for 18 years: bringing a GNAC championship trophy back to Northfield.
The semifinal carried added significance for the Cadets, who returned to Nashua looking to rewrite the ending after falling to Rivier, 1-0, in last year's GNAC semifinal. That defeat ended Norwich's postseason run, leaving the team with unfinished business heading into this year's tournament. A year later, the Cadets answered that challenge in convincing fashion, controlling the scoreboard and delivering one of their biggest results of the season when it mattered most.
Norwich opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Miles Bergeson (Charlotte, Vt.) rose to meet a corner kick from Alessandro D'Arena (Berlin, Conn.), directing a header into the back of the net to give the Cadets an early advantage.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 32nd minute as Harry Rubinstein (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) capitalized on a Rivier miscue, picking off a pass and finishing the opportunity to put Norwich in front, 2-0, heading into halftime.
The Cadets carried that momentum into the second half. In the 58th minute,
Daniel Hennessey (Dubai, U.A.E.) created separation and beat the Rivier goalkeeper with a finish through the keeper's legs, extending the Norwich lead to three. Rivier responded less than two minutes later with a goal of its own, cutting the deficit to 3-1, but Norwich remained composed and continued to apply pressure.
The insurance goal arrived in the 84th minute when Cristian Habiniak (North Branford, Conn.) took on a Rivier defender one-on-one near the top of the box before creating enough space to slot a shot into the bottom-left corner. The finish capped the scoring at 4-1 and put the semifinal result beyond reach.
In goal, Victor Kalorin (Raleigh, N.C.) delivered a strong performance for the Cadets, recording seven saves across 90 minutes to help preserve the three-goal margin. Norwich finished the night with seven shots on target, converting four of those opportunities into goals.
Wednesday's result represents more than a return to the GNAC Championship. It is a statement for a Norwich program that has continued to take steps forward and now has the opportunity to turn that progress into a championship. After coming up short against Rivier in last year's semifinal, the Cadets returned to the same postseason stage, against the same opponent, and produced a performance that sends them one step closer to their ultimate goal.
That opportunity will come Saturday, when Norwich takes on No. 5 St. Joseph's College of Maine in the GNAC Championship. The Monks present one final challenge between the Cadets and a piece of program history. Norwich will be looking to capture its first GNAC men's soccer championship since 2008, ending an 18-year trophy drought and bringing the conference crown back to Northfield for the first time in nearly two decades.
With a chance to close out its postseason run with a championship, Norwich will look to carry the confidence from Wednesday's rematch victory into Saturday's title game. The Cadets have already avenged last year's semifinal loss and earned their place in the final. Now, they have 90 minutes standing between them and a chance to make history.
