NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Norwich University women's lacrosse team held off a late rally from the Falcons from Albertus Magnus College, 13-11, on Saturday afternoon. The Cadets improve to 5-4 on the season, earning their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory of the year. 

Sophomore Kathryn Albretsen (Cotuit, Mass.) and junior Meaghan McGrath (Barre, Vt.) tied for the team lead with four goals apiece. Freshman Olivia Bloom (Annapolis, Md.) scored three of her team's goals while senior Chapel Guarnieri (Pepperell, Mass.) and freshman Jordan Lutz (Hamburg, N.J.) rounded out the scoring for Norwich. 

Albretsen scored her team's first three goals, recording the hat trick in just over four minutes to begin the contest. McGrath's first score of the tilt created a 4-0 lead for Norwich with only 7:52 expired on the first half scoreboard. Later in the stanza, Bloom capitalized on a free position shot to create a game high six-goal lead for the Cadets with 7:41 to go in the first half. 

Ahead by a 10-5 margin at halftime, the Falcons scored five-straight goals to begin the second half, tying the game at 10 with 14:38 left in the second half. The Cadets stopped the Albertus Magnus rally with three-straight markers to capture the lead for good. 

Freshman Lawson Hayes (Moorestown, N.J.) earned the win for Norwich in goal, making three saves on 14 shots. The goaltending tandem of Lexie Fenn and Grace Vestro combined for 11 saves on 24 shots as the former drew the loss for the Falcons. 

The Cadets held statistical advantages over Albertus Magnus in shots (26-to-22), ground balls (28-to-26), draw controls (14-to-11) and successful clears (24-to-18). Guarnieri had 12 of her team's 28 ground balls, setting a career-high mark and picking up the fourth-most loose balls of any Norwich player in team history. 

Norwich is set to take on Lasell this Wednesday, Apr. 12 at 4 p.m. on the road.