NASHUA, N.H. – The Norwich University women's soccer team saw its historic 2026 campaign come to a close Saturday evening, falling 5-1 to top-seeded Rivier University in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship at Joanne Merrill Field. Despite the result, the Cadets finished a season that marked a significant turning point for the program, reaching the conference championship for the first time in 18 years and taking another major step forward under Head Coach Jared Cipriano.
Norwich entered the championship as the No. 6 seed, having battled through two difficult road tests to earn its place in the title game. The Cadets' postseason run featured a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Emmanuel in the quarterfinals and an overtime comeback against Lasell in the semifinals, securing the program's first GNAC Championship appearance since capturing its only conference title in 2008.
Rivier opened the scoring in the eighth minute to take an early 1-0 advantage. The Cadets looked to respond and created several opportunities throughout the opening half, earning four corners and putting five shots on goal. However, the hosts added a second goal at 37:22 to carry a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Raiders extended their advantage in the 55th minute, before adding two more goals in the 66th and 69th minutes to make it a 5-0 contest. Norwich continued to battle and eventually found the scoreboard in the 81st minute, when Maddy Perry (Fair Haven, Vt.) finished an opportunity at 80:54 to put the Cadets on the board. Perry's goal provided a final attacking highlight for Norwich in the championship effort.
Freshman goalkeeper Sophie Olivo (Sanford, Maine) started between the woodworks and played the full 90 minutes, recording six saves against a relentless Rivier attack. Norwich finished with 13 shots, including eight on target, while the Raiders generated 27 shots and 11 attempts on goal. The Cadets continued to compete through the final whistle, closing out a season that saw the program return to the conference's biggest stage for the first time since 2008.
The championship appearance was the culmination of a remarkable postseason journey for the sixth-seeded Cadets. Norwich began its tournament run on Oct. 31 with a trip to Boston to face No. 3 Emmanuel College in the GNAC Quarterfinals. The contest quickly developed into a defensive battle, with neither team able to find the breakthrough through 90 minutes of regulation or two overtime periods.
Olivo delivered one of the most impressive performances of the season, turning aside all 12 shots on target across 110 minutes to preserve the scoreless draw. Emmanuel generated 24 shots compared to just three for Norwich, but the Cadets remained organized defensively and continued to battle through sustained pressure.
With the match still scoreless, the quarterfinal moved to a penalty shootout. Norwich responded with the composure of a team that believed it belonged in the next round. Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.), Lily Briggs (Fair Haven, Vt.), and Emma Korrow (Northfield, Vt.) each converted their attempts, while Olivo denied all three Emmanuel penalty attempts to secure a 3-0 shootout victory. Korrow delivered the decisive conversion, sending the Cadets into the GNAC Semifinals for the first time in 16 years.
Norwich carried that momentum into its semifinal matchup with No. 2 Lasell on Nov. 3, once again finding itself forced to respond after conceding the opening goal. Lasell struck in the ninth minute and carried a 1-0 advantage into halftime, but the Cadets remained within reach thanks to Olivo and a determined defensive effort.
The equalizer came in spectacular fashion in the 53rd minute. Melanie Winters (Montpelier, Vt.) worked through the midfield before finding Briggs, who unleashed a strike from approximately 35 yards out that sailed beyond the reach of the Lasell goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The goal brought Norwich level at 1-1 and shifted the momentum in a contest that had seen the hosts generate much of the early pressure.
Lasell continued to apply pressure throughout the remainder of regulation, finishing with a 25-9 advantage in total shots and an 8-6 edge in shots on goal. Olivo once again delivered when the Cadets needed her most, making seven saves, including six in the second half, to keep the match even and send Norwich into overtime.
The Cadets needed just 2:03 of extra time to find the decisive moment. Perry rose inside the 18-yard box to meet a perfectly placed cross from Magoon, directing a header into the back of the net to deliver the golden goal and send Norwich into the GNAC Championship. The overtime winner sparked an emotional celebration as the Cadets completed another comeback and secured their place in the title game for the first time since 2008.
The victory also marked Norwich's first win over Lasell since 2012, ending a 14-year drought against the Lasers and providing another milestone in the program's resurgence. After entering the tournament as the No. 6 seed, the Cadets had eliminated the third- and second-seeded teams on the road, relying on defensive resilience, timely scoring, and the ability to deliver in the most important moments.
The team's postseason success was built upon a balanced group that contributed throughout the season. Entering the championship, Sophie Guarriello (Barre, Vt.) led the Norwich attack with 10 goals and four assists for 22 points, establishing herself as one of the GNAC's most dangerous attacking players. Magoon provided another consistent offensive presence with seven goals and three assists for 17 points, while Briggs finished with six goals and two assists for 14 points. Heidi Smith (Sammamish, Wash.) added five goals and five assists for 15 points, giving the Cadets another important attacking option and helping maintain the team's offensive balance.
Norwich also relied on a defensive group that helped the team navigate some of its most demanding stretches of the season. Beatrice Lake (Brookfield, Vt.) and Addison Morrey (Williamsburg, Mass.) played important roles in the back line, that helped Norwich withstand sustained pressure during the postseason. In goal, Olivo emerged as one of the team's most important players, delivering standout performances in all three tournament games and giving the Cadets an opportunity to compete against some of the conference's top teams.
The 2026 campaign also represented a significant transformation for the Norwich program under Cipriano. Now in his fourth season leading the Cadets, Cipriano has helped establish a culture built on accountability, confidence, toughness, and an unwavering belief in the team's ability to compete. The group that entered the GNAC Tournament as the sixth seed embodied that identity, embracing the underdog role and turning difficult road environments into opportunities to make history.
The Cadets' run to the championship was not defined by one player or one moment, but by a collective commitment to keep competing regardless of the circumstances. From Olivo's 12-save performance and the penalty shootout triumph over Emmanuel to Briggs' long-range equalizer and Perry's overtime winner against Lasell, Norwich repeatedly found ways to respond when its season was on the line.
While the championship result was not what the Cadets hoped for, the season stands as a defining chapter in the continued growth of Norwich women's soccer. A program that had not reached the GNAC Championship since 2008 returned to the conference's biggest stage, earned its first semifinal appearance in 16 years, and demonstrated that it can compete with the top teams in the league.
Norwich closes the 2026 season with a 12-6-2 overall record and a foundation that has been steadily strengthened throughout Cipriano's tenure. The Cadets leave Nashua without the championship trophy, but with a historic postseason run, a renewed standard for the program, and valuable experience that can carry into the future. The 2026 team brought Norwich women's soccer back to the GNAC Championship conversation, and its season will serve as another important step in the program's continued rise.
