WINTHROP, Mass. - A historic 2025 campaign for the Norwich University women's lacrosse team culminated in a wave of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) postseason accolades, as nine Cadets earned All-Conference honors, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.

Fourth-year Head Coach Ian Thomas was named the GNAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after guiding the Cadets to a record-breaking 15-3 season, a return to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time since 2014, and a 12-game winning streak, the second-longest in program history.

Thomas joins Tyler Renaud (2008) and Beth Van Parys (2011) as the third GNAC Coach of the Year in program history, and expressed gratitude for the award, crediting the success to his players and support staff:

"It is an honor to be selected as Coach of the Year by my peers," said Coach Thomas.  "Although Coach of the Year is given as an individual award, it is truly a team award.  Thank you to our assistant coaches, managers, athletic trainers, strength & conditioning coaches, equipment staff, athletic communications, Coach Hock, and the entire Norwich Athletic department.  There are countless people who have supported, mentored, and aided my professional growth, whose thanks are in order.  I cannot thank everyone however, I must recognize and thank Coach Neal Anderson for his mentorship throughout my playing and coaching careers.  A special thank you to my wife, Gretchen, for supporting my passion and the long hours that come with coaching.  Finally, and most importantly, thank you to the 26 young women on our team this year; you are the true recipients of this award.  Thank you for buying into our culture, philosophy, team systems, and earning every bit of this year's success through hard work, perseverance, joy, and love.

Norwich landed a pair of student-athletes on the GNAC All-Conference First Team, three on the Second Team, two on the Third Team, and one on the All-Sportsmanship Team.

"With such a large conference and so many talented players, it speaks to our quality of play, balance, depth, and professionalism to have so many players recognized with All-Conference selections," Thomas said.

Ellie Moriarty (Stowe, Vt.) earned First Team recognition as an attacker after serving as the team's primary playmaker throughout the season.  Moriarty led the team in assists with 39, finishing second in the GNAC and among the top 65 nationally in both total assists and assists per game (2.17).  She added 29 goals to reach 68 points on the year, the highest on the team.  Her season featured a six-assist performance at Dean, while netting seven points in three outings against Maine Maritime Academy, Dean, and Albertus Magnus.  Moriarty also added 17 ground balls and seven caused turnovers while starting in 17 contests.

Joining her on the First Team was standout midfielder Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.), who continued to serve as a dominant two-way presence.  Fielder finished the season with 47 goals and 13 assists, while her 85 draw controls set a new single-season program record.  She ranked among the team's best in ground balls (39), caused turnovers (30), and recorded at least one goal in 15 games this season.  Her draw control average (5.00 per game) ranked top-100 nationally, while her free position percentage (0.706) sits among the top 15 in Div. III women's lacrosse.  She posted 10 hat tricks this season, including five goals apiece in wins over Albertus Magnus, New England College, and Colby-Sawyer.

Moriarty and Fielder become Norwich's first GNAC All-Conference First Team honorees since Grace Fitzpatrick earned First Team plaudits in 2014.  It marks the second consecutive All-Conference honor for both Vermont natives, after Moriarty landed on the Third Team last season, while Fielder received Second Team laurels in 2024.

Lindsey Parker (Wells, Maine) headlined the Second Team honorees as a stalwart on defense.  A team captain, Parker ranked second on the team with 44 ground balls and 41 caused turnovers.  Her ability to disrupt possessions and clear the ball was vital during Norwich's conference slate, helping the Cadets rank first in the GNAC and within the top 20 nationally in scoring defense (7.11).  On two occasions this season, Parker tied the third-most caused turnovers in a single game, generating seven against Maine Maritime Academy and Vermont State University Castleton.

Celine Juneau (Chazy, N.Y.) earned her second consecutive All-Conference honor with a spot on the Second Team.  One of the team's most consistent defenders, Juneau registered team-highs in ground balls (48) and caused turnovers (45), the latter setting the program-high in a single season by breaking Chapel Guarnieri's mark of 44 set in 2016, while also adding 16 draw controls.  She was an instrumental contributor around the field this season, including securing nine draw controls against Keene State, tied for the fourth-most in a single game in program history.

Bailey Manning-Ingala (West Hartford, Conn.) was recognized as the Second Team goalkeeper after a standout junior season between the pipes.  She posted an 11-3 record with an 8.33 goals-against average and a .506 save percentage, ranking third in the GNAC and within the top 25 nationally in both categories.  She racked up 118 saves on the year, including a career-best 12 saves against Saint Joseph's (Maine), and made double-digit stops in three games.  Her 11 wins, 8.33 goals-against average, and .506 save percentage all rank second in program history in single-season leaders.

The trio of Parker, Juneau, and Manning-Ingala mark the first trio of Cadets to land on one team since Allison Sturgeon, Katie Bishop-Manning, and Michaila Furchak were tapped to the Third Team in 2022; they are the first to land on the Second Team since Sturgeon, Brittney Poljacik, and Emily Schromm earned honors in 2021.  Juneau received Second Team plaudits in 2024, while both Parker and Manning-Ingala earned their first All-Conference recognition.

Athena Merck (West Yarmouth, Mass.) claimed Third Team honors after enjoying a breakout season on the attack.  Merck finished second on the team in goals (32) and added 12 assists for 44 total points.  She scored in 14 games, including a pair of five-goal efforts against Dean and Simmons.  A consistent scoring threat, Merck also collected 24 ground balls and forced 12 turnovers.

Defender Julia Proto (Orange, Conn.) joined her on the Third Team after locking down opponents throughout the season.  Proto recorded 31 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers while making 13 starts.  She added eight goals, three assists, and 12 draw controls, logging a hat trick against Keene State while also securing four draw controls on Maine Maritime Academy.

Merck received GNAC All-Rookie Team laurels after her debut season in 2023, while Proto received her first All-Conference nod in her collegiate career as a senior.

Julia Gutke (Stockholm, Sweden) rounded out Norwich's honorees, representing the Cadets on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.  Gutke started in seven contests with clutch appearances, registering 13 goals, one assist, eight ground balls, four caused turnovers, and one draw control, while demonstrating leadership and poise both on and off the field.

"We are incredibly proud of the season we put together this year," Thomas said.  "What a way for these 10 seniors to end their illustrious careers!  Our success on and off the field is a direct result of this senior class and their consistency and dedication over the past four years.  They have rekindled this program through honoring the game of lacrosse and its Native American origins while cultivating a welcoming, fun, loving, resilient, hardworking culture on our team.  This year's success establishes a new standard of excellence in our program, leading the country in caused turnovers per game, returning to the semifinals for the first time in 10 years, setting a new record for wins in a season, and numerous other program records.  Thank you to all the families, friends, alumni, community members, and the many other devoted supporters of our program!"

Norwich's All-Conference honors come on the heels of both Quinn Mustone (Medford, Mass.) and Breanna Ricker (Laconia, N.H.) earning spots on the GNAC All-Tournament Team, after a pair of standout performances from each in the 2025 GNAC Tournament.

Norwich's remarkable 2025 season featured the most wins in program history (15), a 10-1 conference mark, and a return to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time in over a decade.  The Cadets also earned the #2 seed in the GNAC's North Division, advancing with a win over Dean College before falling in a hard-fought semifinal battle with top-seeded JWU (Providence).