NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's lacrosse team delivered its most dramatic performance of the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon, storming back from a five-goal second-half deficit to defeat Saint Joseph's College of Maine, 12-10, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) showdown on Senior Day at Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.

Drew Fleury (Nashua, N.H.) produced one of the standout outings of his career, erupting for eight points behind six goals and two assists while matching his personal best in scoring.  He also contributed four ground balls and two caused turnovers in a commanding all-around effort.

Jake Marcotte (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) added five points on three goals and two assists, while Christian Rainis (Wynantskill, N.Y.) finished with four points on a hat trick and one helper.

Liam O'Neill (Hingham, Mass.), Jackson Forbes (Merrimack, N.H.), and Ryder Spiers (Virginia Beach, Va.) each chipped in an assist to round out the Norwich scoring contributions.

Saint Joseph's established early control, striking four minutes into contest before doubling its advantage less than two minutes later.  Fleury halted the early surge with an unassisted finish over the goalkeeper's right shoulder, but the Monks answered in the closing moments of the quarter to take a 3-1 lead.

The visitors continued to build momentum in the second period, scoring twice within the opening five minutes to stretch the margin to four.  Norwich quickly found a response, as Fleury set up Rainis for a 15-yard strike before O'Neill returned the favor by feeding Fleury for another long-range tally just a minute later.

After Saint Joseph's added another goal, the Cadets closed the half on a strong note.  Rainis connected with Marcotte just 44 seconds later, and Marcotte powered a shot through traffic and past the goalkeeper to trim the deficit to 6-4 at halftime.

Norwich opened the second half with Fleury's third goal of the afternoon, a precise shot into the bottom corner, but Saint Joseph's countered emphatically.  The Monks rattled off four straight goals over a nine-minute stretch, holding the Cadets scoreless while rebuilding a 10-5 cushion.

Momentum began to shift in the final seconds of the third quarter, as Marcotte found Rainis cutting from behind the net.  Rainis fired a shot through a crowd of defenders with two seconds left to spark a decisive surge that would ultimately define the contest.

That late tally ignited a remarkable 7-0 run for Norwich, including six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter while the Cadet defense held Saint Joseph's off the scoreboard.  Rainis opened the final period with a finish in the upper-right corner off a Fleury assist, and Fleury followed minutes later by weaving through defenders before burying another strike to keep the comeback alive.

Spiers played a pivotal role in the next sequence, forcing a turnover at midfield and securing the ground ball before drawing multiple defenders and dishing to Marcotte near the crease for a finish that cut the deficit to one with 10 minutes remaining.  Fleury continued the rally shortly thereafter, beating the shot clock with a drive from the corner and a powerful shot that tied the contest at 10-10.

Just over a minute later, Fleury gave Norwich its first lead of the afternoon, taking a lead from Marcotte behind the cage and slicing through traffic to drill his sixth goal of the game.  Marcotte added a crucial insurance tally with five minutes left, finishing a Forbes pass from 15 yards out to seal the thrilling victory.

Norwich was efficient in transition, finishing 15-of-18 on clears, including a perfect 13-for-13 effort across the final three quarters.  The Cadets also held a narrow 34-33 edge in ground balls, with Fleury and Forbes collecting four apiece.

Defensively, Norwich generated 15 caused turnovers, led by three each from Forbes and Spiers.  Fleury, David Myers (Hainesport, N.J.), and Robert Carr (Amsterdam, N.Y.) each added two caused turnovers to maintain pressure throughout the comeback.

Ryan Magararu (Newtonville, Mass.) controlled possession at the face-off stripe, securing 10 victories, including three critical wins in the fourth quarter that helped fuel the decisive run.

Mason Dils (Watervliet, N.Y.) earned his third win in goal, recording six timely saves while playing all 60 minutes and adding two ground balls.

Prior to the game, the Cadets honored Drew Fleury, Parker Fleury (Nashua, N.H.), Robert Carr, and Alex Johnston (Franklin, Tenn.) during Senior Day ceremonies, celebrating their contributions to the program.

The result handed Saint Joseph's its first conference loss of the season and allowed Norwich to avenge last year's 7-6 defeat in Standish, Maine.

Norwich will close its five-game homestand on Wednesday, Mar. 25, stepping out of conference play for a 4:00 p.m. matchup against Keene State College.  The Cadets will then begin a stretch of three consecutive GNAC road contests with a Mar. 28 trip to Mitchell College.