BENNINGTON, Vt. — After an unusual start that included own goals from each side, the visiting Norwich University men's soccer team went on to score the next four for a 5-1 win over Southern Vermont College Tuesday afternoon at Everett Field in the first match of the season for both squads.
SVC (0-1) went up early after a ball sent into the box was tipped into the net by the Norwich (1-0) defense, but the tables turned 40 seconds later when a Cadet free kick went into the Southern Vermont goal off a Mountaineer's head in a failed clear attempt. A long-range snipe five minutes later put NU ahead, and the visitors would go on to pad their lead in the second half to start the 2015 campaign with a victory.
Southern Vermont is back at home on Friday, playing host to Bard College at 4:30 p.m. The Cadets next host Johnson State College on Friday during the first day of the Fourth Annual Cadet Kickoff Classic, that start time also scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
As the Mountaineers worked the ball into the Norwich end of the field after kickoff, SVC freshman Anthony Dominguez (Los Angeles, Calif.) laced it towards the middle of the box from the left side. The Cadet defense fumbled to clear it and ended up tipping the ball into their own net, putting Southern Vermont up early. In the ensuing attack off the restart, Norwich was awarded a free kick from the right side of the field about 35 yards away from net. As it went towards the back post, SVC attempted to clear but headed it back into the near side of the frame to tie things at one apiece.
Norwich kept up the pressure, getting two shots off and being called for a pair of offsides through the next five minutes of play. Eventually, the ball was passed towards the middle of the field where freshman Ethan Melia (Shrewsbury, Mass.) collected and turned before ripping a shot from 40 yards out. It found the lower left corner of the frame for his first of the year, giving the visitors what proved to be enough of an upper hand for the win. Both teams had their chances, but the ball stayed out of the goal for the rest of the half as the game went to the break with Norwich still ahead just 2-1.
The Cadets extended their lead early in the second when junior Alec Brigante (Colchester, Vt.) brought the ball in from the left side and sent it towards net; SVC freshman keeper Noah Chani (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) was able to get a hand on it, but the carom went to the middle of the box where NU junior Jacob Zimmerman (Litchfield, N.H.) cleaned it up for the two-goal lead. A similar play at the 71:06 mark put Norwich ahead 4-1 when a ball got sent in from the left side of the midfield and punched right to sophomore Colin Lozito (Wilmington, Vt.) who ripped it home from the top of the box.
The final Norwich tally came with just over nine minutes left on the clock as sophomore Jeff Purdy (Grantham, N.H.) sent the ball from the left side to the far post where senior Eric Beecy (Stowe, Vt.) met it with his head; the ball went back across the frame for sophomore Chase Hainey (Fryeburg, Maine) to run on and stuff it into the back of the goal for the one-timer and Purdy's second assist of the half.
NU freshman keeper Stefan Skoff (San Jose, Calif.) made four saves in the win (1-0) while Chani finished with eight stops in the loss (0-1).