FRANKLIN, Mass. – September 28, 2022 – The Dean College men's soccer team was defeated by Norwich, 3-1, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at Grant Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Dean (4-3-1, 2-2-1 GNAC) plays at Anna Maria on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Norwich (5-2-1, 4-1 GNAC) hosts Rivier on Friday at 7 p.m.
After 10 minutes of scoreless action to begin the match, Norwich thought they broke through in the 11th minute when a header by Joseph Thongsythavong (Salem, Mass.) was on its way into the goal, but a Dean defender stepped in to get the ball out of danger.
The Bulldogs struck first in the 25th minute when senior
Luke Palmer (Windsor Locks, Conn.) flicked a ball over an oncoming Norwich defender to first-year
Melvin Alves (Brockton, Mass.). Alves then chipped the ball over the goalie who came out to challenge. The goal was Alves' team leading fifth.
Norwich tied the contest four minutes later. Thongsythavong had a great scoring chance that was saved by Dean junior keeper
Alberto Gonzalez Del Rio (Madrid, Spain) but the ball went right to Norwich sophomore Mamadi Jiana (Chicopee, Mass.) who deposited his seventh tally of the season.
The Cadets took a 2-1 lead in the 33rd minute off a free kick. Senior Amerle Nemeye (Burlington, Vt.) sent a bending ball into the box from 25 yards out. Sophomore Cullen Swett (Williston, Vt.) put his head on the ball and found the back of the net with his fourth goal of the season.
Nemeye added an insurance goal in the 62nd minute when he curled in a free kick from 24 yards out. Norwich also hit the post three times in the second half.
Gonzalez Del Rio kept the Bulldogs close with 11 saves. Senior goalie Robert Wagenseller (Poway, Calif.) made a couple of stops to earn the win for the Cadets.
