Last-Minute Norwich Tally Lifts Cadets Over Men's Lacrosse, 11-10

BOSTON – In a close Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game on Saturday afternoon, the final seconds proved to make the difference as Norwich men's lacrosse defeated the Emmanuel Saints, 11-10, in conference play at Clemente Field.

Tied 10-10 with under a minute to play, the Cadets took a timeout with 26.5 seconds remaining, preserving the game's final possession. Out of the timeout, sophomore Jack Fleury (Nashua, N.H.) had the game on his stick, taking possession behind the Saints goal in the left alley.

Fleury the game-winning play all on his own, as the sophomore attack ran all the way around the back of the Saints goal and came out front with an open look at the cage. Making no mistake, Fleury found the back of the net with 19 seconds to go, giving Norwich an 11-10 lead.

On the ensuing faceoff, after a stalemate took away valuable seconds, Saints junior Ryan Etzo (Bedford, N.H.) picked up the ground ball with five seconds to go, but was unable to make an attempt at the Norwich goal, giving the Cadets the one-goal win.

Neither side led by more than two on Saturday, a testament to the back and forth play between familiar GNAC foes. After a goalie duel in the opening 24 minutes saw Emmanuel lead 3-2, the Cadets put together three straight goals, including a pair by Fleury, giving Norwich a 5-3 edge.

The Saints scored a pair in the final 1:57 of the half to tie Saturday's game 5-5 at the break. Included in those goals was an 80-yard launch from senior goalie Eric Anderson (Sparta, N.J.) before the horn sounded. The shot was out of Anderson's stick before time expired, making it a legal attempt, as the arcing shot found the Norwich goal to tie the game.

The Saints would take their two-goal advantage in the final minutes of the third quarter, leading 9-7 with 15 minutes to play. First-years Tyler Cardinal (Rochester, N.Y.) and Cooper Mehlhorn (South Portland, Maine) scored 40 seconds apart while senior Rob Favuzza (Saugus, Mass.) capped the scoring in the third quarter, giving Emmanuel a 9-7 lead.

Norwich retook the lead midway through the fourth, scoring the first three goals of the period to lead 10-9. Etzo would ultimately tie the game with 51 seconds remaining before Fleury's game-winning tally with under 20 seconds to play.

Fleury scored a game-high four goals to go with two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Christian Rainis (Wynantskill, N.Y.) finished with a hat trick and one assist for a four-point afternoon. Junior goalie Thomas Hopkins (Chelmsford, Mass.) made 11 stops for the Cadets, taking credit for the win to improve to 3-4 (2-0 GNAC) this season.

Favuzza and senior Thomas Quigley (Marblehead, Mass.) each scored a pair for the Saints. Favuzza added a pair of assists for a four-point day. Etzo added one goal, two assists, and two ground balls for the Saints. Anderson stopped a season-high 20 shots for Emmanuel but drops to 1-9 (1-3 GNAC) in the lost.

The Saints (1-9, 1-3 GNAC) continue a three-game homestand with an April 3 meeting with New England College at 7:00 p.m. on Clemente Field. The Cadets (7-4, 4-0 GNAC) return to the Boston-area on April 3, facing Lasell at 5:00 p.m.