NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's lacrosse team secured its first victory of the 2026 campaign on Wednesday afternoon, defeating intrastate rival Vermont State University Castleton, 13-4, in the 11th Annual Connor Roberts Memorial Game on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.

The victory also marked the first collegiate head coaching win for Dylan Curry, who became the eighth head coach in program history during the summer of 2025.

Beyond the result, the annual non-conference matchup once again served as a tribute to Connor Roberts, a former Norwich midfielder whose legacy continues to unite the Norwich and Castleton lacrosse communities.

Roberts tragically passed away in 2014 following his sophomore season.  During his time with the Cadets, he competed in 34 games, totaling 21 points on 12 goals and nine assists while adding 21 ground balls.  Since 2015, Norwich and Castleton have proudly upheld the Connor Roberts Memorial Game to celebrate his life and impact.  The tradition holds special significance for both programs, as Connor's brother, Ben, was a member of the Castleton lacrosse and hockey teams, while his sister, Dani, played women's lacrosse for the Spartans.

Seven Cadets found the back of the net in Wednesday's victory, led by Drew Fleury (Nashua, N.H.) and Jake Marcotte (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) with three goals apiece.  Marcotte also dished out three assists for a six-point afternoon, while Fleury added two helpers to finish with five points.

Robbie McAllister (Amherst, Mass.) and Nicholas Wolfgang (New Port Richey, Fla.) each scored twice, with Wolfgang also adding two assists for four points.  James Raymond (Tracy's Landing, Md.) recorded a goal and an assist, while Jackson Forbes (Merrimack, N.H.) and Alex Johnston (Franklin, Tenn.) each added a goal.  David Gosselin (South Burlington, Vt.) and Noah St. Germaine (Plymouth, Mass.) rounded out the scoring column with one assist apiece.

Norwich struck quickly to open the contest, as Raymond buried an unassisted tally just over a minute into play.  The Spartans answered nearly three minutes later, but the Cadets seized momentum with four goals over the next six minutes.

Fleury ignited the run with two goals in a 53-second span, first finishing an unassisted effort before converting on a Marcotte feed to make it 3-1.  Johnston extended the advantage four minutes later off another Marcotte assist, and Marcotte capped the surge with a goal of his own, finishing a pass from Wolfgang to send Norwich into the second quarter with a 5-1 lead.

Castleton briefly halted the run with the opening goal of the second frame, but Norwich again responded in dominant fashion.  McAllister began a five-goal stretch with a finish off a Marcotte assist before Gosselin set up Fleury a minute later to push the margin to 7-2.

Wolfgang added an unassisted tally with 2:38 remaining in the half, and the Cadets closed the period with a flourish.  Fleury recorded two assists in the final 36 seconds, first finding Forbes for a goal before connecting with Wolfgang with one second remaining to extend the Norwich lead to 10-2 at halftime.

The offensive pace slowed in the second half, though the Cadets maintained firm control.  After Castleton opened the third quarter scoring, Marcotte answered with consecutive goals off assists from Wolfgang and St. Germaine, extending the Norwich advantage to 12-3 while the Cadet defense continued to stifle Spartan opportunities.

Castleton added one more midway through the fourth quarter, but McAllister capped the scoring with a goal off a Raymond feed to secure the 13-4 victory.

Norwich controlled the physical battles throughout the afternoon, winning the ground ball battle 38-30, including a commanding 13-4 advantage in the opening quarter.  The Cadets also dominated at the face-off stripe, winning 14 draws while limiting VTSU Castleton to six.

Ryan Magararu (Newtonville, Mass.) powered the effort at the face-off X, winning 14-of-18 draws while collecting a game-high 11 ground balls.

Fleury, Forbes, Mason Dils (Watervliet, N.Y.), and Ryder Spiers (Virginia Beach, Va.) each collected three ground balls, while Liam O'Neill (Hingham, Mass.) anchored the defense with a game-high three caused turnovers.

In goal, Dils turned in one of the strongest performances of his career, recording 17 saves across 59 minutes and 22 seconds to earn his first victory of the season.

The win also marks the 10th straight victory for Norwich over the Spartans, a streak dating back to a 9-5 triumph in Castleton, Vt., on Apr. 13, 2016.

Norwich now turns its attention to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, traveling to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday, Mar. 7, for a 1:00 p.m. matchup in West Hartford, Conn.  The Cadets will then return home to host Lasell University on Wednesday, Mar. 11, at 4:00 p.m.