NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Battling through torrential rain and difficult field conditions, the Norwich University women's lacrosse team closed the month of March with a hard-fought 9-5 victory over Rivier University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest under the lights on Tuesday evening at Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.

With the win, the Cadets improve to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play, extending their winning streak to four games.

Six different Cadets found the back of the net, led by a milestone performance from Athena Merck (West Yarmouth, Mass.), who recorded a hat trick while netting the 100th goal of her collegiate career.  Vivian Buntin (Middlebury, Conn.) added a pair of goals, while Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.) contributed three points on a goal and two assists.

Sophia Albright (East Dummerston, Vt.) posted a goal and an assist, and both Tori Jarvis (South Windsor, Conn.) and Lauren Labbe (Brunswick, Maine) added a goal apiece.  Caitlin Slider (Thetford Center, Vt.) rounded out the offense with an assist.

"Tonight was a gritty team win in the rain," said Head Coach Ian Thomas.  "We showed a lot of character and battled extremely tough.  Our senior leadership shined, and our captains set the tone with their work ethic, communication, and consistency throughout the game."

After a scoreless opening stretch, Norwich broke through just over two minutes into the contest.  Following a successful clear, Fielder converted a free-position opportunity to give the Cadets the early advantage.  Rivier responded nearly five minutes later to even the score, but Norwich answered quickly, as Merck struck 90 seconds later to restore the lead.  The Cadet defense held firm over the final minutes of the quarter, carrying a 2-1 edge into the second.

A Raider turnover midway through the second frame opened the door for Buntin, who finished a pass from Slider to extend the margin.  Rivier countered with two quick goals, including a free-position tally at the 4:36 mark, to level the contest at 3-3. Norwich responded in the closing minutes of the half, as Labbe netted the go-ahead goal to give the Cadets a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish.

"Both teams had trouble moving the ball and connecting on passes because of the rain," Thomas added.  "We are both very scrappy teams, and a lot of the game was played in the middle third."

Norwich came out of halftime with renewed energy, as Buntin converted another free-position opportunity just 80 seconds into the third quarter.  Rivier answered shortly after, but the Cadets began to separate late in the frame.  Merck finished a feed from Albright before Fielder connected with Albright on a woman-up opportunity in the final minute, pushing the advantage to 7-4 entering the fourth.

Merck completed her hat trick just over a minute into the final quarter, capitalizing on another Fielder assist, as Norwich's defense continued to limit Rivier's opportunities.  Jarvis added a key insurance goal midway through the period, drilling a free-position attempt during a woman-down situation to extend the lead to 9-4.

Rivier found the net once more with just over three minutes remaining, but Norwich held strong down the stretch, preventing any further momentum and closing out the four-goal victory.

"Our defense really came together, held strong, and improved throughout this game," Thomas said.  "Bailey had another incredible game in goal.  I am proud of the passion we played with and how hard we worked the entire game."

Norwich controlled several key statistical areas, holding a 22-18 edge in ground balls and a 9-7 advantage in draw controls.  Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) and Izzy Sirois (Hartland, Vt.) led the effort with four ground balls each, while Sienna Caron (Griswold, Conn.) and Bailey Ingala (West Hartford, Conn.) added three apiece.  Fielder and Labbe were instrumental in the draw circle, securing four and three draw controls, respectively.

Defensively, the Cadets forced 14 caused turnovers, paced by Magoon's game-high four.  Caron added three, as nine different Norwich players recorded caused turnovers in a collective defensive effort.

In goal, Ingala earned her sixth victory of the season, turning aside eight shots across 60 minutes, including five key saves in the second half to keep Rivier at bay.

Norwich will hit the road to open April, traveling to Albertus Magnus College on Saturday, Apr. 4, for a 4:00 p.m. matchup in New Haven, Conn.  The Cadets will then return home for a pivotal GNAC showdown on Tuesday, Apr. 7, hosting Colby-Sawyer College under the lights at Sabine Field.