NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Norwich University men's lacrosse team delivered one of its most explosive offensive performances in program history on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 25-2 victory over Mitchell College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest at Alumni Field.

Norwich showcased impressive depth across the lineup, with 14 different players contributing to the 25-goal outburst, the program's highest single-game total since Apr. 28, 1990, when the Cadets defeated the University of Massachusetts Boston, 25-7.  The program record remains 26 goals, achieved in a 26-4 win over Vermont State University Lyndon (then-Lyndon State) in 1974 and a 26-7 victory over the Burlington Lacrosse Club in 1988.

Jack Ryan (Haymarket, Va.) led the charge with a career-high four goals and an assist for five points.  Wes Emerson (Cheshire, Mass.) also turned in a career-best performance with a hat trick, while David Gosselin (South Burlington, Vt.) and Parker Fleury (Nashua, N.H.) each produced four-point efforts.  Gosselin totaled two goals and two assists, while Fleury recorded his first two collegiate goals alongside a pair of helpers.

Zachary Cooney (Victor, N.Y.) added three points on two goals and an assist, and Noah St. Germaine (Plymouth, Mass.), Christian Rainis (Wynantskill, N.Y.), and Ryan McGorry (Hingham, Mass.) each found the back of the net twice.

Additional goals came from Case MacDonald (Burke, Va.), James Raymond (Tracy's Landing, Md.), AJ Moniz, V (Middletown, R.I.), Ryder Spiers (Virginia Beach, Va.), Drew Fleury (Nashua, N.H.), and Jake Marcotte (Old Orchard Beach, Maine), while Nicholas Wolfgang (New Port Richey, Fla.) chipped in two assists.

Norwich wasted no time igniting its offensive surge, as Cooney struck just 59 seconds into the contest to begin a stretch of seven consecutive unassisted goals.  Rainis followed moments later, while Raymond and Fleury scored in a 52-second span to quickly widen the gap.

The Cadets continued to press in the opening quarter, as MacDonald, Emerson, and Rainis each added unassisted tallies during a three-minute stretch midway through the frame.  Gosselin later set up Marcotte before Ryan capped the quarter with a goal off a Wolfgang feed in the final 21 seconds, sending Norwich into the break with a commanding 9-0 lead.

The momentum carried into the second quarter, where Norwich added five more goals while keeping Mitchell off the scoreboard.  McGorry extended the advantage early, followed by a Spiers finish off a Parker Fleury assist.  Fleury added a goal of his own midway through the frame, and Ryan assisted on Emerson's second tally before Moniz closed the half with a score to make it 14-0.

Norwich maintained its relentless pace after halftime, scoring five goals in a 68-second burst early in the third quarter.  McGorry, Gosselin, and Ryan each found the net during the sequence, with Cooney and Fleury contributing assists.  Ryan later completed his hat trick off a Gosselin helper, and Cooney finished a Wolfgang feed to push the Cadets' run to 19 consecutive goals.

Mitchell broke through at the 5:48 mark of the third quarter, but Norwich responded with three more goals before the end of the period.  Emerson, Gosselin, and Ryan each scored, with the latter two coming in the final 20 seconds, extending the lead to 22-1.

After a prolonged scoreless stretch in the fourth quarter, Parker Fleury and St. Germaine added back-to-back tallies before Mitchell netted its second goal.  St. Germaine closed the contest with his second goal of the afternoon with 14 seconds remaining to cap the 25-2 victory.

Norwich controlled the game across the board, highlighted by a 54-13 advantage in ground balls. Ryan Magararu (Newtonville, Mass.) led the effort with nine ground balls and was dominant at the face-off X, winning 16 of 17 attempts.  Cavin MacDonald (Springfield, Va.), Mark Chu (Amston, Conn.), and Ryan combined to go 11-for-14 on face-offs, helping Norwich to a 27-4 edge in the circle.

Defensively, the Cadets generated 11 caused turnovers, led by three from Xavier Ixtlahuac (Carthage, N.Y.), while Moniz added two.

Norwich was flawless in transition, finishing a perfect 17-for-17 on clear attempts while limiting Mitchell to a 13-for-23 mark.

Three goalkeepers saw action for the Cadets, as Mason Dils (Watervliet, N.Y.) earned his fourth win of the season after allowing no goals and making one save in just under 17 minutes.  Nicholas Squatrito (Peterborough, N.H.) recorded three saves over 28 minutes, while Jameson Hart (New Gloucester, Maine) added a save while playing the entirety of the fourth quarter.

Norwich will look to carry the momentum into its next outing on Wednesday, Apr. 1, traveling to New England College for a 4:00 p.m. contest.  The Cadets will then close the three-game road trip on Saturday, Apr. 4, with a matchup against reigning GNAC champion Rivier University.