NORTHFIELD, Vt. – After navigating a challenging regular season and earning their place in the postseason as the No. 7 seed, the Norwich University men's soccer team has continued to defy expectations, putting together an impressive playoff run to reach the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship. Now, the Cadets stand one win away from bringing a conference title back to Northfield for the first time since 2008, as they prepare for a championship rematch against No. 5 Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m. in Standish, Maine.
The championship appearance marks another significant milestone for a Norwich program that has steadily worked its way back into the conference's top tier under Head Coach Rob Emmett. In his first appearance in the GNAC Championship as the Cadets' head coach, Emmett has guided Norwich to its third championship-game appearance in the last five years, with the opportunity to finish the journey that began with a No. 7 seed and a difficult road through the conference tournament.
For Norwich, Saturday's matchup carries added significance. The Cadets and Monks are meeting in the GNAC Championship for the first time since 2021, when Saint Joseph's claimed a 1-0 victory in double overtime. Five years later, the two programs will meet again on the conference's biggest stage, with Norwich looking to reverse that result and end an 18-year championship drought.
The Cadets enter the final with a 10-5-4 overall record, having found their stride at the most important time of the season. Norwich has scored 42 goals through 19 games, averaging 2.21 goals per contest, while allowing just 19 goals. The offensive production has been spread throughout the lineup, with several players stepping forward during the regular season and continuing to deliver in the postseason.
Leading the way offensively are Diego Fuentes (Valencia, Spain), Daniel Hennessey (Dubai, U.A.E.), Brian Baek (Fairfax, Va.), and Cristian Habiniak (North Branford, Conn.), who have each recorded five goals on the season. Fuentes and Hennessey have also contributed four assists apiece, giving both players a team-high 14 points. Baek has added two assists for 12 points, while Habiniak has totaled 11 points. Miles Bergeson (Charlotte, Vt.) has also been a consistent presence in the attack, recording four goals and three assists for 11 points.
The balance of the Norwich attack has been an important part of the Cadets' success. Fuentes, a senior, has helped set the tone with his experience and ability to create opportunities, while Hennessey has emerged as a consistent scoring threat throughout his sophomore campaign. Baek and Habiniak have provided additional finishing ability, and Bergeson has contributed at both ends of the field, including a pivotal goal during the semifinal victory.
Behind the offensive production, Victor Kalorin (Raleigh, N.C.) has been a key figure in goal. The junior goalkeeper has recorded 56 saves this season and has been especially important during the Cadets' postseason run, making seven saves in each of Norwich's two tournament contests. His ability to keep the Cadets within striking distance has helped provide the foundation for the team's late-season success.
Norwich's path to the championship has been anything but straightforward. As the No. 7 seed, the Cadets entered the GNAC Tournament knowing they would need to earn every opportunity to advance. Their postseason journey began on Oct. 31 against No. 2 Albertus Magnus, where Norwich faced an early deficit and had to battle through 110 minutes of tightly contested soccer before securing its place in the semifinals.
Albertus Magnus took a 1-0 lead in the 41st minute, forcing Norwich to chase the match for much of the afternoon. The Cadets continued to push for an equalizer, eventually finding the breakthrough in the 63rd minute when Cristian Habiniak finished a pass from Daniel Hennessey to bring the contest level at 1-1. Neither side was able to find a winner through the remainder of regulation or two overtime periods, sending the quarterfinal to a penalty shootout.
With their season on the line, the Cadets delivered under pressure. Norwich converted its first six penalty attempts, with successful finishes from Miles Bergeson, Diego Fuentes, Daniel Hennessey, Ben Rubinstein (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Sharmarke Hassan (Burlington, Vt.), and D'Arena. After both teams missed their seventh attempts, Norwich had another opportunity to clinch the result following an Albertus Magnus miss. Freshman Alejandro Pena (Annapolis, Md.) stepped forward and converted the decisive penalty, sealing a dramatic 7-6 shootout victory.
Kalorin was instrumental throughout the quarterfinal, turning aside seven shots over 110 minutes to keep Norwich in the contest. The Cadets' ability to respond after falling behind, remain composed through two overtime periods, and execute in the shootout demonstrated the resilience that has defined their postseason run.
The quarterfinal victory sent Norwich to the GNAC Semifinals for the second consecutive season, setting up a rematch with Rivier University. The Raiders had ended the Cadets' postseason run in 2025 with a 1-0 semifinal victory, making Wednesday night's return to Nashua an opportunity for Norwich to rewrite the ending.
The Cadets did exactly that.
Norwich delivered one of its most complete performances of the season on Nov. 4, defeating Rivier, 4-1, at Joanne Merrill Field to punch its ticket to the GNAC Championship. The victory was particularly meaningful for a program that had been unable to get past the Raiders in the previous year's semifinal, and the Cadets responded with an emphatic performance that featured two goals in each half.
Miles Bergeson opened the scoring in the 15th minute, rising to meet a corner kick from Alessandro D'Arena and directing a header into the back of the net. Norwich doubled its advantage in the 32nd minute when Harry Rubinstein (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) capitalized on a Rivier miscue, intercepting a pass and finishing the opportunity to give the Cadets a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
The offensive momentum continued after the break. Daniel Hennessey extended Norwich's lead in the 58th minute, creating separation before beating the Rivier goalkeeper with a finish through the keeper's legs. The Raiders answered less than two minutes later to make it a 3-1 contest, but Norwich remained composed and continued to pressure the opposition.
With the match entering its final stretch, Cristian Habiniak provided the finishing touch. In the 84th minute, the freshman took on a Rivier defender one-on-one near the top of the box, created enough space to get his shot away, and found the bottom-left corner to secure the 4-1 victory.
Kalorin once again delivered in goal, recording seven saves across 90 minutes as Norwich advanced to its first GNAC Championship game since 2023. The result also represented a measure of redemption for the Cadets, who returned to the same field where their 2025 postseason run had ended and left with a convincing semifinal victory.
The performance reflected the contributions of a group that has continued to step forward throughout the season. Bergeson has now recorded four goals and three assists, while D'Arena's ability to create opportunities has been an important part of the Cadets' attack. Hennessey and Habiniak have continued to produce in key moments, and the defensive effort in front of Kalorin has helped Norwich navigate two demanding postseason matches.
For Emmett, the championship appearance represents another important step in the program's progression. The Cadets have reached the GNAC Semifinals in consecutive seasons, and Wednesday's victory over Rivier demonstrated the growth of a team that has continued to build its identity and compete for a conference title. Now, in his first opportunity to lead Norwich into the championship game, Emmett has his team one win away from accomplishing a goal that has eluded the program for nearly two decades.
The final opponent, however, is a familiar one.
Saint Joseph's College of Maine and Norwich have already met once this season, with the Monks earning a 3-2 GNAC victory over the Cadets on Oct. 13 in Standish. Saint Joseph's built a 2-0 advantage in the opening half, scoring in the 25th and 42nd minutes to take control heading into the break. Norwich responded early in the second half when Cristian Habiniak found the back of the net in the 48th minute, cutting the deficit to one and giving the Cadets momentum coming out of halftime.
The Monks restored their two-goal advantage in the 60th minute, but Norwich answered almost immediately. Just 21 seconds later, Daniel Hennessey finished a pass from Ben Rubinstein to make it a 3-2 contest. The Cadets continued to push for an equalizer in the closing minutes, generating several scoring opportunities and earning 10 corner kicks compared to six for Saint Joseph's. Despite the late pressure, the Monks held on for the one-goal victory.
Kalorin recorded seven saves in that matchup, including a second-half penalty kick stop that kept Norwich within reach. The Cadets finished with 14 shots, including eight on target, while Saint Joseph's recorded 25 shots and 10 on goal. Although the Monks came away with the result in the regular-season meeting, Norwich showed its ability to battle back and create opportunities against one of the conference's top teams.
Saturday's championship will also bring the programs back together on the same stage where their most recent title meeting ended in heartbreak for the Cadets. In the 2021 GNAC Championship, Norwich and Saint Joseph's battled through a scoreless first 90 minutes and into double overtime before the Monks found the deciding goal at the 106:16 mark to claim a 1-0 victory. Norwich outshot Saint Joseph's, 24-7, in that contest, but was unable to solve the Monks' defense and goalkeeper. The result marked another difficult championship setback in a series that has featured several postseason meetings between the programs.
Norwich's last GNAC championship came in 2008, when the Cadets defeated Saint Joseph's in the conference final. Saturday offers the program an opportunity to return to the top of the conference against the same opponent it defeated for its most recent title, while also providing a chance to change the outcome of the 2021 championship meeting.
The road to this year's final has required Norwich to overcome adversity, respond to setbacks, and deliver when the stakes have been highest. From the pressure of a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals to a statement semifinal victory over Rivier, the No. 7-seeded Cadets have earned their place in the championship through resilience, balance, and timely performances from across the roster.
Now, the final challenge awaits. With a chance to capture the program's first GNAC title since 2008, make another mark in a historic five-year stretch, and bring the championship trophy back to Northfield, Norwich will look to finish its postseason journey with one more complete performance.
