CASTLETON, Vt. - The Norwich University women's lacrosse team captured a resounding 17-7 non-conference win on Wednesday evening, coasting past Vermont State University Castleton in a rainy clash at Dave Wolk Stadium.

Athena Merck (West Yarmouth, Mass.) paced the Cadet offense, logging a game-high four goals on four shots on target.  Quinn Mustone (Medford, Mass.) also tallied a hat trick with three goals, while Leocadia Clark (Stowe, Vt.), Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.), and Julia Proto (Orange, Conn.) recorded multiple goals with two each.  Julia Gutke (Stockholm, Sweden), Ellie Moriarty (Stowe, Vt.), and Breanna Ricker (Laconia, N.H.) rounded out the scoring, with the Cadets also earning the benefit of a team goal off a Spartan miscommunication.  Fielder led both teams in points, dishing out four assists to finish with six points.

Castleton rushed out to a swift lead, catching the Cadets off guard on three straight goals in the opening four minutes.  Clark spurred an avalanche of Cadet goals just a minute later, kicking off a stretch of eight goals in a row for Norwich, as Moriarty, Merck, Mustone, and Fielder all found themselves in the scorebook before the end of the frame.

Fielder, Clark, and Mustone added their respective second goals to open the second stanza before the Spartans sliced the lead in half, 8-4.  Norwich again embarked on another run, this time registering two before halftime and adding another just seconds into the third quarter on a man-up chance from Mustone.

Back-to-back scores from Castleton again whittled the edge down to five, but four straight from Merck, Gutke, Proto, and Ricker put the game further out of reach.  The Cadets got two more insurance goals to close the game, courtesy of a team goal and Merck notching her fourth of the afternoon.

Maeve Noble-Lowe (Freedom, Maine) claimed her first win of the season in the crease, making 10 saves between the pipes in a full 60 minutes of action.

The Cadets controlled in several categories, generating 38 shot opportunities while scooping up 28 ground balls.  Norwich was successful on 18 clear attempts, while winning 13 draw controls.

Norwich's defense was also on full display, creating 17 turnovers, with Proto leading the way with three.  Clark and Mustone proved victorious in draw controls with four apiece, while four different Cadets corralled three ground balls each.

Norwich will step back into Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday, Mar. 30, hosting Lasell University in a 1:00 p.m. clash on Sabine Field.  The Cadets then hit the road for two in a row at Elms College and Simmons University on Apr. 2 and Apr. 6, respectively.