Cadets Power Past Men's Lacrosse

NORTHFIELD, Vt.—Junior attacker Seth Fuller (Wheaton, Ill.) netted four goals to lead the Norwich University men's lacrosse team to their third straight win, a 12-8 victory against the AMCATS of Anna Maria College on Wednesday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.

With the win, the Cadets improve to 6-9 overall and 6-3 in GNAC play, while the loss drops the AMCATS to 2-13 overall and 2-7 in league action.

In addition to Fuller, the Cadets received a hat-trick from sophomore Jimmy Warden (North Andover, Mass.) and two goals from senior Ian Mendoza (Mount Airy, Md.). Senior Ian Thomas (Barrington, R.I.) dished out a game-high three assists, while senior Zachary McMillan (Brunswick, Maine) tallied a goal and two assists.

The AMCATS saw a hat-trick from Lucas Stralka (East Greenwich, R.I.). Nathan Batallas (Templeton, Mass.) tallied two goals and two assists, while Jamison Crowley (Southington, Conn.) scored twice.

Norwich held a 2-0 lead after the first quarter following goals by Mendoza and Warden at the 9:49 and 6:51 marks. The AMCATS were quick to respond in the second quarter, as Crowley netted a goal just 15 seconds into the frame. The visitors would net the equalizer 2:34 later on a goal by Stralka, and the AMCATS leading-scorer would net a second goal at the 10:48 mark to give Anna Maria the 3-2 lead.

The AMCATS' lead would be shortlived, as Norwich evened the score at 3-3 less than two minutes later on a goal by Fuller, assisted by Matt Flaherty (Portland, Maine). The goal would mark the end of first-half scoring, as the teams battled through almost nine minutes of scoreless action to close the half.

The Cadets opened the third quarter by scoring five straight goals in less than five minutes. Warden registered two tallies in the stretch, while McMillan, Fuller, and Mendoza also scored. Anna Maria's Batallas would break the Cadets' scoring streak by sprinting over 40-yards through the Norwich defense to tally his second goal of the season at the 8:21 mark.

39 seconds later, senior Andrew Dustin (Canterbury, N.H.) netted his second goal of the season by making a move from behind the net. It would mark the beginning of a scoring draught for the Cadets, as they were unable to best Anna Maria netminder Franco Francioso (Walpole, Mass.) or the final seven-and-a-half minutes of the half. The AMCATS were able to capitalize on Norwich's scoring woes, and goals by Crowley and Rex Wall (Osterville, Mass.) at 2:50 and 1:50, respectively, made it a 9-6 game entering the fourth quarter.

Batallas brought the AMCATS one goal closer with an unassisted tally with 9:13 still to play, but Connor Roberts (St. Albans, Vt.) and Fuller netted goals at 8:16 and 7:05 to give the Cadets the 11-7 lead. Lucas Stralka wouls score against for the AMCATS less than a minute after Fuller's goal, but the Cadets held possession for the majority of the remaining time and netted an insurance goal with 2:53 left to play.

Norwich goaltender Mark Paradiso (Westford, Mass.) recorded seven saves en route to the win. Francioso recorded 15 saves for the AMCATS, who were outshot 59-26 by the Cadets.

 Norwich face-off specialists Andrew Bracy (Carthage, N.Y.) and Brett Sewing (Brattleboro, Vt.) combined for 16 wins, while Dustin totaled a team-best six ground balls.