BOSTON, Mass. - The Norwich University men's lacrosse team earned their third-straight victory in thrilling fashion, overcoming a two-goal deficit in the fourth period and snatching an 11-10 victory over Emmanuel College, the reigning Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) champions, in a conference tilt at Clemente Field on Saturday afternoon.

Drew Fleury (Nashua, N.H.) led all scorers with four goals, with none more important than his game-winning, wrap-around shot from behind the net with 20 seconds remaining in the game that pushed the Cadets ahead for good.  Christian Rainis (Wynantskill, N.Y.) also completed a hat trick effort with three goals, while Tyler Seidel (Centreville, Md.) also logged multiple scores with two.  Matt Meehan (Norfolk, Mass.) and Mitchell McKay (Lynnfield, Mass.) contributed a goal each to flesh out the offense.

After nearly eight minutes of a stalemate, the Saints snagged early momentum, taking a 1-0 lead and answering any subsequent Norwich response, including a McKay-to-Seidel connection with a minute and a half left in the first stanza.  Emmanuel reclaimed the advantage in the final seconds.

Jack Haley (Falkville, Ala.) earned the first of his game-high three assists to open the second, finding Rainis to knot the score at 2-all.  Another go-ahead Emmanuel goal was answered in an identical fashion halfway through the frame, as Haley again found Rainis, spurring a stretch of three-straight goals by the Cadets where Fleury tallied back-to-back unassisted tallies.

Although Emmanuel ripped in a pair of goals to tie the game before the halftime buzzer, the Cadets again enjoyed momentum to kick off the third, taking one-goal leads on efforts from Seidel and McKay.

McKay's score with 8:40 left, however, would be the last goal the Cadets would score over the ensuing 11 minutes, as the Saints recaptured the lead on three-straight goals.  Facing a 9-7 deficit to open the fourth, the Cadets found life behind three scores of their own, courtesy of Fleury, Meehan, and Rainis.

While the Cadets appeared like they would capture victory, Ryan Etzo threaded the needle with 51 seconds left to grant the Saints the opportunity to potentially send the game into overtime.  Fleury spoiled the moment, however, as, out of a Norwich timeout, he coasted around the back of the net and drilled a shot into the corner past the Saints' Eric Anderson with 20 seconds on the clock.  While Emmanuel claimed possession of the ball after a Norwich turnover on the ensuing faceoff, the Cadet defense prevented the Saints from getting a clean look, securing the 11-10 victory.

Norwich rolled in a slew of stats, taking 46 shots to Emmanuel's 35, which included a seismic 17-2 differential in the fourth period, with 12 of those coming on target.  The Cadets finished 15-19 on clears, hauled in 41 ground balls, and won 18 face offs, all by Thomas Muraski (Keller, Texas).

Muraski proved responsible for 14 of those ground balls, while Mason McMahon (Norwich, Conn.) corralled nine.  Alongside his four goals, Fleury led the team in caused turnovers with two while also scooping up a pair of ground balls.

Thomas Hopkins (Chelmsford, Mass.) earned a decisive, hard-fought victory between the posts, making 11 saves in a full 60 minutes of play.

The Cadets, who sit atop the GNAC's North Division, will close out their four-game road trip on Wednesday, traveling to cross-divisional foe Lasell University for a 5:00 p.m. game on Apr. 3.  Norwich then returns home on Saturday, Apr. 6, hosting Saint Joseph's College of Maine for Senior Day, where they will honor 16 graduating seniors.