Men's Soccer

Head Coach Kyle Dezotell concluded on his sixth season at the helm of the Cadets men’s soccer team in 2011. He's compiled an impressive career record of 82-38-7 at Norwich.

Dezotell began his coaching career in 2003 as the assistant coach at Saint Michael’s College. The following year in 2004 he was named head coach of the Johnson State College Badgers, a squad he ended up coaching to the NAC Regular Season Championship in 2005 and earned the 10^th spot as “Most Improved Team” in NCAA Division III. That year, Dezotell was named NAC’s “Coach of the Year”.

In 2006, he found his way to Norwich and became the ninth head coach in the 52-year history of the men's soccer program.

In his inaugural season, Dezotell coached the Cadets to a 13-7-1 record and into the ECAC New England Tournament semifinals. The following year, NU finished at 19-3-1 and won the GNAC Regular Season title, setting precedent as the first Norwich University athletic team to ever win an ECAC New England Championship. He earned  his first GNAC “Coach of the Year” in 2007 and then repeated in 2008 after guiding the Cadets to their first GNAC Tournament title since 2001.

The coach’s soccer resume stands out as early as ninth grade, where at North Country Union High School, Dezotell’s name still stands as the career record holder in goals, assists, and points, in addition to holding the single season and career Vermont Division-I High School goals record. He was a four-time All-Metro Conference athlete and three-time All-State performer. Dezotell also earned Vermont Gatorade “Player of the Year” and NSCAA All-America. In 1998, he led his team to the Vermont State Championship.

Dezotell received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College in 2003 and also holds an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma. Dezotell played to an impressive level in his four years with the Panthers men’s soccer team and still stands as the career record holder in goals, assists and points at the College. In 1999, the team captured the ECAC New England Championship and won the inaugural NESCAC Men’s Soccer Championship two seasons later. While at Middlebury, Dezotell was named to the All-NESCAC and All-New England teams, while still finding time to compete on the Division-I Nordic Ski Team for three seasons.

After college, Dezotell played three seasons with the semi-professional Vermont Voltage. In 2003, his team advanced to the Final Eight of the 2003 PDL National Championships.

Dezotell serves as a staff coach for Far Post Soccer Club and has coached previous season for Vermont’s Olympic Development Program.

Eric Nordenson recently completed his sixth season alongside Dezotell as an assistant at Norwich. He played college soccer at Castleton State College from 1991-94 while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice.

Nordenson began his coaching career in 1995 as an assistant coach at his alma mater Castleton State,  where the Spartans compiled a record of 14-3-1 and were the Mayflower Conference champions. In 1996, Nordenson moved to Northeastern University as the first assistant coach for one of the finest Huskies teams in school history.

From 1997-2003, Nordenson moved back to Vermont, coaching at Montpelier High School and Spaulding High School. From 2000-2003, he was the assistant director at Montpelier based Capital Soccer Club. From 2004-2005, Nordenson moved to Saint Michael's College and from 2006-present he has coached at Norwich University.

On top of his duties as the men’s soccer assistant coach, Nordenson also works as a police officer in the Montpelier Police Department.

Chris Rivet concluded his second season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Norwich men's soccer program in 2011.

Rivet '10 was a four-year standout for the Maroon and Gold from 2006-09 and shares the all-time program record for career assists with 29.

He played in 85 of a possible 86 games during his career, including 82 starts. In 2007, he recorded a career-high 14 assists and was a key cog in the Cadets' run to the ECAC New England Tournament championship.

The following year, Rivet tallied seven more assists on his way to being named to the All-GNAC 3rd Team and helping the Cadets win their first GNAC title since 2001.

The Harrisville, R.I. native saved his best season for last however. He started in all 20 games NU played in 2009 and scored five goals while dishing out six assists for a career-high 16 points, all from his position on the Cadets' defensive back line. Rivet was named 1st team All-GNAC as well as earned 2nd team ECAC and NSCAA All-New England honors.