WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Norwich University women's soccer team earned a 6-0 road victory over Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at USJ Soccer Field, using three first-half goals and three more after the break to secure the shutout.
The Cadets wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as junior Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Norwich continued to apply pressure and doubled its lead just under three minutes later when freshman Sophie Guarriello (Barre, Vt.) found the back of the net in the 12th minute, with assists credited to sophomore Heidi Smith (Sammamish, Wash.) and junior Lily Briggs (Fair Haven, Vt.).
Norwich maintained control throughout the opening half, creating chances and forcing Saint Joseph goalkeeper to make several saves. Briggs nearly added to the lead midway through the period, putting a shot off the post in the 23rd minute as the Cadets continued to threaten in the attacking third.
Magoon struck again late in the first half, scoring in the 33rd minute off an assist from Smith to give Norwich a 3-0 advantage heading into the break. The goal marked Magoon's second of the afternoon and gave the Cadets a comfortable lead after 45 minutes of play.
Norwich carried that momentum into the second half. In the 52nd minute, Briggs scored her sixth goal of the season, finishing a setup from Guarriello to push the lead to 4-0. The Cadets continued to generate opportunities, putting pressure on the Saint Joseph defense and creating multiple chances from corner kicks.
Magoon completed her hat trick in the 59th minute, scoring her third goal of the contest to extend Norwich's advantage to five. Smith recorded her second assist of the game on Magoon's second goal, helping the Cadets maintain their attacking momentum.
Smith capped the scoring in the 77th minute, finding the net for her fourth goal of the season to make it 6-0. Norwich maintained its defensive discipline through the final whistle, limiting Saint Joseph to nine shots and two shots on goal.
The Cadets finished with a commanding 26-9 advantage in total shots and a 16-2 edge in shots on goal. Norwich also earned 12 corners compared to four for the Blue Jays, while freshman goalkeeper Sophie Olivo (Sanford, Maine) recorded one save to secure the shutout.
The victory moves Norwich to 9-5-2 overall and 5-5-2 in GNAC play with one game left to play in the regular season when they host Colby Sawyer at 7 p.m.
