NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's lacrosse team traveled to Northfield to battle the Norwich University Cadets in the 11th Annual Connor Roberts Memorial Game, which was originally slated to be a home contest before a last-minute venue change. Castleton fell to the Cadets, 13-4.
 
The Basics
• Final Score: Norwich 13, Castleton 4
• Location: Sabine Field – Northfield, Vt.
• Records: Norwich 1-1 | Castleton 1-3
 
For Connor
The non-conference matchup reflected the deep bonds and shared respect between the two programs, as they once again came together to honor the memory of Connor Roberts, a former Norwich standout whose legacy continues to unite both teams.
Roberts, a talented midfielder for the Cadets, tragically passed away in 2014 after his sophomore season. Since 2015, Norwich and Castleton have proudly upheld this tradition to celebrate his life, with the game holding special significance for both sides. Connor's brother, Ben, was a member of the Castleton lacrosse and hockey programs, while his sister, Dani, played women's lacrosse for the Spartans.
 
How It Happened
Norwich won the opening draw and held possession for 1:12 before finding the back of the net for the day's first score. Castleton answered at 10:59, as Liam Evarts netted his first of the day, assisted by Jason Samek, to knot the game at one apiece.
The hosts added four unanswered goals to take a 5-1 lead through the first quarter.

Willem Aiston won the faceoff to open the second quarter, with Mitch Chaves scooping up the ground ball. After several changes of possession, the ball found the stick of Cole Bowditch at 10:53 for the Spartans' second score of the day, making it 5-2 in favor of the Cadets.

Norwich tacked on five more goals to close out the first half with a 10-2 advantage.

Castleton struck first in the second half as Evarts potted his second of the day unassisted at 13:09, cutting the deficit to 10-3. The Spartans' defense showed up in the third stanza, as Finn Maniaci made five saves to limit the hosts to just two goals, trailing 12-3 heading into the final 15 minutes.

The fourth quarter featured one goal per side, bringing the final score to 13-4. Castleton's goal came from Evarts to complete his hat trick, assisted by Bowditch.

By the Numbers
• Evarts led the offense with three goals and added three ground balls.
• Gabe Rubio paced the defensive effort with two caused turnovers and three ground balls.
• Maniaci finished the day with 12 saves.
• Castleton went 1-for-4 on the man-up and 16-for-22 on clearing attempts.

Up Next
The Spartans will open their home slate Tuesday as they host Rivier University for a 4 p.m. matchup.