NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The third-seeded Norwich University women's lacrosse team will continue its postseason run on Tuesday, Apr. 28, traveling to second-seeded Emmanuel College (Mass.) for a 7:00 p.m. Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinal matchup at Clemente Field in Boston, Mass.

Norwich enters the semifinal at 14-3 overall after surviving a 13-12 sudden victory overtime battle against University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in Saturday's GNAC Quarterfinal. Emmanuel advanced with a narrow 10-8 quarterfinal victory over seventh-seeded New England College, improving to 14-4 on the season.  Tuesday's meeting will determine one half of the GNAC Championship field, with the winner advancing to face either top-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine or fifth-seeded Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, May 2.

The Cadets have continued to establish themselves as one of the conference's most complete teams from start to finish.  Through 17 games, Norwich has totaled 233 goals and 100 assists while averaging 13.71 goals per game, and has held opponents to just 8.94 goals per contest.  Norwich has also posted strong possession numbers across the board, including 327 ground balls, 236 draw controls, and 198 caused turnovers, while clearing successfully at a .714 rate and limiting opponents to a .609 clear percentage.

Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.) remains the engine of the Norwich attack heading into the semifinal.  Fielder leads the Cadets with 75 points on 49 goals and 26 assists, while also pacing the team in draw controls with 75 and adding 53 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers.  Athena Merck (West Yarmouth, Mass.) has continued to provide a dynamic scoring punch with 49 points on 35 goals and 14 assists, while Vivian Buntin (Middlebury, Conn.) carries 43 points and 55 draw controls into Tuesday's matchup.  Caitlin Slider (Thetford Center, Vt.) has added 40 points, Sophia Albright (East Dummerston, Vt.) has produced 34 points, and Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) has contributed 25 points, giving Norwich balance throughout the midfield and attacking unit.

Norwich has also continued to lean on a deep and disruptive defensive group.  Abigail Kirrane (Lunenburg, Mass.), Izzy Sirois (Hartland, Vt.), Sienna Caron (Griswold, Conn.), Kaitlyn Eisentraut (Middletown, N.Y.), and others have helped the Cadets become one of the GNAC's most active teams between the restraining lines, while Bailey Ingala (West Hartford, Conn.) has anchored the effort in goal.  Ingala enters the semifinal with a 10-3 record, 109 saves, and a 10.22 goals-against average, while Kaylin Gonzalez (Navarre, Fla.) and Audrey Campbell (Foxborough, Mass.) have also contributed key minutes in net this spring.

Emmanuel, meanwhile, has again looked every bit the part of a championship contender.  The Saints have scored 237 goals and dished out 99 assists through 18 games, averaging 13.17 goals per contest while allowing only 8.22 goals per game.  Emmanuel has paired that offensive production with strong underlying numbers, totaling 354 ground balls, 226 draw controls, and 209 caused turnovers, while posting a .776 clear percentage.  The Saints have also been especially dangerous on free-position chances, converting 47 of 85 opportunities for a .553 success rate.

Madeline Wright headlines the Emmanuel offense and enters the semifinal as one of the most dangerous players in the conference, totaling 84 points on 68 goals and 16 assists.  Avery Robillard has added 47 points on 23 goals and 24 assists, while Emilia Ferraro has scored 28 goals and Anna Nichols has contributed 32 points.  Ella Stein and Delaney Johnston have also eclipsed the 20-point mark, giving the Saints multiple options across the attacking end.  Wright, Robillard, and Nichols all play major roles in the draw game as well, while Halle Miller and Abigail Graham have been among the Saints' most disruptive defenders.  In goal, Keira Walsh has logged the bulk of the minutes and enters Tuesday with 106 saves, a .431 save percentage, and a 9.04 goals-against average.

The semifinal also presents Norwich with a chance to answer one of its toughest regular season results.  When the two teams met in Boston on Mar. 14, the Cadets struck first and were tied 2-2 after the opening quarter behind two early goals from Fielder, but Emmanuel gradually took control and eventually pulled away for an 18-7 decision.  Buntin totaled four points in that meeting on a goal and three assists, while Tori Jarvis (South Windsor, Conn.), Magoon, and Lauren Labbe (Brunswick, Maine) also found the back of the net.  Norwich held a slight 14-13 edge in draw controls that afternoon, with Fielder collecting 10 on her own, while Magoon added four ground balls and three caused turnovers, and Ingala made 10 saves in goal.

Now, with a place in the GNAC Championship within reach, the Cadets will head back to Boston for another shot at the defending conference champions.