Editor’s note: The Spartan learned just prior to printing that the men’s soccer team lost in the ECAC championship game to Wentworth Institute of Technology. The score was 1-0.
The Castleton men’s soccer team bounced back from its North Atlantic Conference championship defeat on Wednesday, Nov. 11 with a 2-1 win over Norwich University in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

“I give the guys a lot of credit. It was a great game,” said Castleton coach John Werner. “Unlike the other day, two teams came to play.”

The day he referred to is Saturday, Nov. 7, when Castleton was denied a third straight championship by Husson University.

The Spartans scored early when senior Jon Vogt took a corner from Greg Klopfer and headed it past Norwich goalkeeper, Charles Maxwell.

“For the most part [Greg] tries to find the middle of the box, and we try to get there first,” Vogt said of his scoring effort.

Norwich leveled the score just nine minutes into the second half when Castleton goalkeeper, Mike Anthony, came out to block the angle on Norwich’s Jake Leclaire. Leclaire’s shot was then redirected to the foot of teammate Bobby Begin, who slid home the equalizer.

Castleton took charge of the offense after the Norwich goal and would not allow the Cadets another shot on goal the rest of the game.

With 12 minutes remaining in regulation, the Spartans took the lead for good.

Freshman Billy Lund slid a great lead pass nearly fifteen yards to a streaking Sean Fitzgerald, who took the ball one-on-one with Maxwell and finished the attack with a shot that went in the lower left corner.

Fitzgerald’s and Vogt’s goals propelled the Spartans into the final four for the ECAC New England title.

And like his fellow teammates, Vogt wanted nothing more than a win against Norwich following his team’s heartbreaking loss on Nov. 7.

“We just have to forget the fact that we lost, and realize that we have a good chance to win the ECAC,” said Vogt. “It’ll be a good chance for us and our school too.