PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The Norwich University women's lacrosse team staged another dramatic comeback on Monday afternoon, erasing a five-goal deficit with a 7-0 run to defeat Plattsburgh State University, 10-9, in non-conference action at the Field House Complex.

Three Cadets accounted for all 10 goals in the victory, led by a career-high four-goal performance from Caitlin Slider (Thetford Center, Vt.), who also collected two ground balls.  Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.) paced Norwich with six points on three goals and three assists while adding three ground balls, two caused turnovers, and four draw controls.  Sophia Albright (East Dummerston, Vt.) completed the trio of hat tricks with three goals, while Vivian Buntin (Middlebury, Conn.) and Lauren Labbe (Brunswick, Maine) contributed three and one assists, respectively.

"I am so incredibly proud of this team!" said Head Coach Ian Thomas.  "Our resiliency, passion, and composure came through in the second half.  This was a special win today.  Coming off a short rest, we gutted out a gritty, gritty comeback win!"

Plattsburgh State controlled the opening stretch on both ends, holding Norwich scoreless through the entire first quarter and the first six minutes of the second while building a 4-0 lead on four straight unassisted goals.  The Cadets finally broke through midway through the second stanza when Buntin found Slider in stride for Norwich's first goal of the afternoon.  Just under two minutes later, Fielder connected with Albright, who slipped past a pair of Cardinal defenders to cut the deficit in half.

After Plattsburgh answered on a man-up opportunity, Norwich again closed the gap when Buntin found Slider cutting in front of the crease to make it 5-3.  The Cardinals regained control late in the half and into the early moments of the third quarter, however, rattling off three consecutive goals to stretch the advantage to 8-3.

That is when the tide turned.  Albright ignited the Norwich rally with a man-up goal off a Fielder feed, sparking seven straight tallies by the Cadets.  Norwich added one more before the end of the third quarter, as Buntin found Slider wide open in front of the crease on a fastbreak chance with three-and-a-half minutes remaining, trimming the Plattsburgh lead to 8-5 heading into the final frame.

"Even when we were down, we stayed composed," Thomas said.  "We were able to wear Plattsburgh down throughout the game and opened up a lot of looks in transition throughout the second half.  Abigail Kirrane and Kaitlyn Eisentraut won their 1v1 matchups against their two best players.  Our defense settled into the game and dominated in the 4th."

The Cadets continued their surge immediately in the fourth, scoring four goals in the opening five minutes to complete the comeback.  Fielder and Albright connected in transition to open the period before Fielder split a pair of defenders and buried a shot of her own to bring Norwich within one.  Just 40 seconds later, Labbe drew multiple defenders before finding Slider open, and the sophomore midfielder rolled home the equalizer.

Fielder then delivered Norwich's go-ahead goal on a free-position attempt two minutes later, giving the Cadets their first lead of the contest.  She followed with an unassisted insurance tally into the lower corner to push the Norwich advantage to 10-8.

Plattsburgh responded with a goal in the final 96 seconds to cut the margin to one, but a crucial draw control by Labbe allowed the Cadets to maintain possession and close out the victory.

Norwich dominated the draw circle throughout the afternoon, winning 16 draws to just five for the Cardinals, including a perfect 6-0 edge in the fourth quarter.  Fielder, Labbe, and Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) each secured four draw controls, while Buntin and Izzy Sirois (Hartland, Vt.) added two apiece.

Bailey Ingala (West Hartford, Conn.) earned her second win of the season in goal, making nine saves across the full 60 minutes, including three in the fourth quarter during Norwich's decisive closing stretch.

The Cadets also generated seven caused turnovers, with Fielder and Magoon recording two apiece to lead the effort.  Norwich scooped up 19 ground balls in the win, paced by five from Buntin.

"We are beginning to learn who we are and find our identity," Thomas said.  "We are a young, fearless team who believes in ourselves and trusts our systems.  We talk a lot about the Native American roots of the game and how it is an honor to compete every time we step on the field.  Today, we entertained the creator!"

Norwich will return to Sabine Field for the first time this season on Thursday, Mar. 12, hosting Curry College at 4:00 p.m. in its home opener.  The Cadets will then travel to Boston, Mass., on Saturday, Mar. 14, for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) showdown with rival Emmanuel College.