NORTHFIELD, Vt. - A career performance from Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.) and a balanced offensive surge from nine goal scorers propelled the Norwich University women's lacrosse team to its fourth straight victory and first-ever win over Curry College, as the Cadets secured a 20-13 non-conference triumph on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Fielder delivered a dominant outing, netting a career-high seven goals while adding two assists for nine total points.  She also led the Cadets with five ground balls and eight draw controls.  Athena Merck (West Yarmouth, Mass.) recorded a hat trick and an assist, while Tori Jarvis (South Windsor, Conn.), Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.), and Lauren Labbe (Brunswick, Maine) each contributed two goals.

Vivian Buntin (Middlebury, Conn.) added one goal and one assist, while Sophia Albright (East Dummerston, Vt.), Martha Crapser (Brownsville, Vt.), and Caitlin Slider (Thetford Center, Vt.) each found the back of the net once.  Sienna Caron (Griswold, Conn.) dished out two assists, and Izzy Sirois (Hartland, Vt.) rounded out the scoring column with a helper.

"We started the game very strong. It is nice to get an early lead and have our foot on the gas in the first half," said Head Coach Ian Thomas.  "We were able to go deep into our roster, getting many girls valuable experience in their first collegiate game.  Audrey Campbell played huge all game with big saves in every quarter."

Both teams traded goals in the opening minutes, with Fielder striking unassisted in the first minute before the Colonels responded.  The deadlock proved brief, as Norwich erupted for six consecutive goals in the first quarter.  Back-to-back unassisted tallies from Slider and Fielder within a 25-second span ignited the run, while Merck scored twice off Fielder assists and Jarvis added another finish.  Labbe capped the surge late in the period to give Norwich a commanding 7-1 advantage.

The Cadets continued to dictate the pace in the second quarter, adding three more goals in the final four minutes.  Jarvis opened the stretch off a Buntin feed before Magoon and Buntin buried consecutive shots just 21 seconds apart.  Curry halted the rally with a late score, trimming the deficit to 10-2 at halftime.

Curry struck first out of the break, but Norwich quickly answered with unassisted goals from Fielder and Magoon less than a minute apart.  The teams continued to exchange tallies throughout the frame, with Labbe scoring midway through the period.  After a woman-down goal by the Colonels briefly shifted momentum, Caron connected with Merck before Fielder extended the Norwich lead to its largest margin at 15-5.

The Colonels converted a woman-up opportunity to halt the running clock, but Norwich restored its 10-goal cushion in the closing seconds of the quarter when Merck found Fielder with just five seconds remaining to make it 16-6.

"Credit to Curry for not giving up and playing hard until the end," Thomas added.  "They gave us some trouble in the fourth quarter and strung together a run. They are well coached and played with a lot of passion."

Curry mounted a late push in the final period, scoring seven times, but the Cadets maintained control by adding four goals over the final nine minutes.  Fielder recorded two more tallies during the stretch, while Crapser and Albright added insurance scores to secure the 20-13 victory.

Norwich held advantages across several statistical categories, including a 24-20 edge in ground balls.  Fielder, Magoon, and Sirois led the effort with five, four, and three scoops, respectively.  The Cadets also forced nine caused turnovers, highlighted by four from Magoon.

Norwich controlled possession in the draw circle, winning 21 draw controls compared to 14 for Curry.  Fielder paced the group with eight victories, while Buntin and Labbe each secured six.

Audrey Campbell (Foxborough, Mass.) earned the second win of her collegiate career in goal, making eight saves and collecting two ground balls while playing the full 60 minutes.

"As a young team, today showed us what we can accomplish when we are disciplined and trust in our systems," Thomas said.  "We have another quick turnaround as we go to Emmanuel in two days.  We are excited to test ourselves in a heavyweight conference matchup against the defending champs."

With the victory, Norwich improves to 4-0 to begin the season, marking the program's best start since the 2012 campaign, when the Cadets opened the year with 14 straight wins en route to capturing the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship.

The win also marks the first in program history over Curry after previous losses in 2016 and 2014.  The Colonels claimed an 11-1 victory in Bradenton, Fla., on Mar. 17, 2016, in the last meeting between the programs.

Norwich will now turn its focus to GNAC play on Saturday, Mar. 14, traveling to reigning conference champion Emmanuel College for a 3:00 p.m. matchup at Clemente Field.  The Cadets will then continue conference action on Tuesday, Mar. 17, at Elms College.