STANDISH, ME – Norwich University (9-0, 7-0 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's (8-5, 5-4 GNAC), 13-8, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse match at Westerlea Way Field on Thursday afternoon. Sophomore midfielder Anneka Adame (San Diego, Calif.) tallied three goals, six draw controls and five ground balls in a losing effort.
With the game tied at one-apiece through five minutes of play, the visiting Cadets rattled off five unanswered goals, including three from senior midfielder Kacey Abbriano (Hicksville, N.Y.), to seize control of the contest.
Trailing 10-3 after Norwich senior attacker Danielle Del Dotto (Andover, Mass.) scored twice in a matter of three minutes, the Monks posted a surge of their own as Adame scored twice and Cassie Diplock (Augusta, Maine) hit pay dirt to cut the SJC deficit down to 10-6 heading into intermission.
The first half, featuring 16 total goals, was played at a frenzied pace but the second stanza slowed to a crawl as only five shots found the back of the cage during the closing 30 minutes.
The Cadets squashed the Monks' hopes of a comeback by netting three straight to start the second half, extending their lead to 13-6 after Abbriano closed the burst with a man-up marker with 18:25 remaining.
Seniors Megan Cutter (Westbrook, Maine) and Amelia Santos (Beverly, Mass.) tacked on goals for the Monks over the final 13 minutes to account for the 13-8 final.
Sophomore keeper Elizabeth Giacchino (Melrose, Mass.) made four saves in the opening 30 minutes and was hit with the loss, while Haley Nason (Saco, Maine) posted nine stops in the second half for the Royal Blue. Norwich senior netminder Meghan Kennedy (Lowell, Mass.) tallied 11 saves to earn the victory.
For the Monks, Diplock recorded two goals and two assists, Cutter chimed in with a pair of markers, Santos tallied a goal and two assists, and Allyson Woods (Portland, Maine/McAuley) picked up five ground balls.
For the Cadets, Abbriano netted five goals and two assists, Del Dotto posted a hat trick effort, and Grace Fitzpatrick (Falmouth, Maine /Cheverus) added two goals and six ground balls on the afternoon.
With the loss Saint Joseph's falls to 1-5 in the history of the series with Norwich University. Today's contest was the final regular-season tilt for the Monks, who have clinched a GNAC Tournament berth for the fourth time in five years as an NCAA DIII varsity program. St. Joe's will learn the tournament seeding and first-round opponent after the other conference teams complete their schedule this weekend.
Norwich hosts Anna Maria College on Saturday at 12:00 PM and Emerson College on Sunday at 1:00 PM.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
