Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Senior defender Zach Garcia (Yuma, Ariz.) scored with 6:46 left in the second overtime to lift the Norwich University men's soccer team to a huge 2-1 victory over conference-leading Emmanuel on Saturday afternoon at Howard Field.
Garcia finished off a string of three straight headers off a free-kick service from junior Moab Schiers (South Weber, Utah) to score the biggest goal of the Cadets' season to date.
Schiers served the ball in to the penalty box to the right post where senior defender Christian Albrecht (Albuquerque, N.M.) was the first to get a head on it. He flicked the ball over to the left side of the net where Alec Brigante (Colchester, Vt.) headed it back to the right post and then Garcia did the rest for his first goal of the season and sent the bench and large alumni crowd pouring onto the field for the celebration.
Norwich (6-3-1, 3-1-0 GNAC) fell behind in the first half on a goal from Emmanuel's Jordan Maurer off a pass from the right wing by Cian O'Sullivan. Maurer one touched the ball into the right corner of the net to give the Saints (4-6-0, 3-1-0 GNAC) a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute.
The Cadets had a golden opportunity to level the score in the 37th minute when Brigante drew a penalty kick after he was fouled in the box. However, Emmanuel goalkeeper James Withers made a terrific diving save on Schiers to keep the Saints in front 1-0.
The Cadets finally got on the board in the 51st minute with junior Jacob Zimmerman (Litchfield, N.H.) blasting his fifth goal of the season into the top left corner of the net off a feed from Brigante.
Withers made four saves for Emmanuel, while NU freshman goalkeeper Stefan Skoff (San Jose, Calif.) made six saves to improve to 6-3-1 on the season.
Norwich will return to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 6 when the Cadets host Lyndon State at 7 p.m. in a non-conference matchup.
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