PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior attackman Seth Fuller (Wheaton, Ill.) scored the go-ahead goal with just two seconds remaining in the game as the No. 6-seeded Norwich University men's lacrosse team defeated No. 3-seeded Johnson & Wales (JWU), 7-6, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinal round on Tuesday night at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.

The Cadets advance onto the semifinal round and will take on No. 2-seeded Mount Ida College on Thursday. Johnson & Wales ends the season 7-8 overall and 5-3 in league play.

JWU struck first at the 10:54 mark of the first period from Brett Leighton (Scarborough, Maine) with Eric Russo (West Grove, Pa.) picking up the assist. The Cadets scored less than three minutes later from Josh Jenkins (Centennial, Colo.) to knot it at one. The Wildcats struck with back-to-back goals from Max Stone (Burlington, Conn.) and Damian Bandereck (Topsfield, Mass.) with Russo collecting two assists on the play.

Trailing 3-1, Norwich cut the deficit to one when Ryan McCarthy (Medford, Mass.) grabbed the pass from Matt Flaherty (Portland, Maine) and chipped it right into the back of the net for the 3-2 score at the half.

Both teams traded goals to open the second half with Sam Sears (Baltimore, Md.) scoring for JWU and Victor Bill (Nazareth, Pa.) for the Cadets. Late in the third period, the Wildcats took advantage of the extra-man opportunity as Brian Hillenbrand (Portsmouth, R.I.) extended the lead to 5-3 after three periods of play.

Heading into the fourth period, the Cadets refused to prevail as Fuller netted his first goal at the 12:10 mark to start the comeback. After a back-and-forth battle for possession, Norwich would grab ahold of the ball and find the net once again, this time from Jenkins to tie it up at five goals apiece, before Ian Kennedy (Gloucester, Mass.) scored unassisted to give the Cadets their first lead of the game, 6-5, with 3:59 remaining in the game.

JWU countered less than two minutes later from Russo to make it 6-6 before the Cadets fought hard to retain possession as Fuller picked up a loose ball in the top left corner of the box and pulled the trigger that landed into the back of the net for the game-winning goal and the 7-6 lead with two seconds on the clock.

Norwich's senior goalkeeper Ryan Fecteau (Danvers, Mass.) finished with eight saves in the win. JWU's JC Guido (Miller Place, N.Y.) turned away nine shots in between the pipes for the Wildcats.

Face-off specialist Andrew Bracy (Carthage, N.Y.), who leads the nation in face-off winning percentages, won 13 of the 15 attempts as Norwich would also win the ground ball battle, 38-32, and outshoot the Wildcats, 31-26.

-CADETS-