NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's lacrosse team continued its best start in over a decade, overpowering Simmons University with a dominant fourth quarter to claim an 11-6 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division victory on Wednesday night at Sabine Field.

Athena Merck (West Yarmouth, Mass.) was unstoppable on offense, scoring a game-high five goals, including two in a pivotal fourth-quarter surge.  Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.) and Caitlin Slider (Thetford Center, Vt.) each tallied two goals, while Ellie Moriarty (Stowe, Vt.) and Vivian Buntin (Middlebury, Conn.) found the back of the net once.  Buntin and Moriarty also orchestrated the attack with two assists apiece, while Fielder, Slider, and Quinn Mustone (Medford, Mass.) contributed an assist each.

Simmons opened the contest with back-to-back goals, but the Cadets wasted no time regaining control.  Merck sparked a four-goal outburst for Norwich, with Slider, Fielder, and Merck again fueling the run to put the Cadets ahead, 4-2.  The Sharks trimmed the deficit late in the second quarter, but Merck delivered her third goal of the half in the final seconds to give Norwich a 5-3 halftime edge.

Momentum shifted early in the third quarter as Simmons strung together three-straight goals to reclaim the lead at 6-5.  However, the Cadets responded in emphatic fashion, with Moriarty leveling the score before Norwich erupted for five consecutive fourth-quarter goals to put the game away.

Merck powered the decisive run with two more goals, including a setup from Buntin to extend the lead.  Fielder, Buntin, and Slider each added insurance tallies, sealing the statement victory for the Cadets.

Bailey Manning-Ingala (West Hartford, Conn.) was a rock in net for the Cadets, earning her sixth win of the season with an impressive eight-save performance.  She stood tall in the cage for the full 60 minutes, making several key stops to keep Simmons at bay and allow Norwich's offense to take control late.

Defensively, Norwich was relentless, forcing 20 turnovers to stifle Simmons' offense.  Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) was a defensive force, leading the team with four caused turnovers, while Celine Juneau (Chazy, N.Y.), Lindsey Parker (Wells, Maine), and Magoon each scooped up three ground balls.  Juneau, Fielder, and Mustone also secured two draw controls apiece to help control possession.

Norwich held a 25-21 edge in ground balls and excelled in transition, clearing 16 successful attempts.  The Cadets' balanced effort helped them secure their seventh win of the season, their best start since 2012, while improving to 3-0 in GNAC play.

Riding a wave of momentum, Norwich will look to keep its unbeaten conference streak alive as they host Albertus Magnus College for another key GNAC matchup on Saturday, Mar. 29, at 1:00 p.m. on Sabine Field.