PORTLAND, ME – Saint Joseph's College (2-5, 2-0 GNAC) snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating Norwich University (0-1, 0-1 GNAC), 10-7, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse contest at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Senior midfielder Cassie Diplock (Augusta, Maine) scored a career-high six goals in the victory.

Senior attack Krystal Walsh (Springvale, Maine) opened the game-scoring with her fifth marker of the season just 1:09 after the opening whistle, but the Cadets – playing in their first game of the year with four postponements already on the docket – answered with scores just 12 seconds apart from Hope Royce (Washington, Vt.) and Chapel Guarnieri (Pepperell, Mass.) to secure a 2-1 edge with 26:57 left in the first half.

The slim deficit remained for over eight minutes, but the complexion of the contest changed when Diplock scored three consecutive tallies, igniting a 5-0 outbreak that saw the hosts claim a 6-2 advantage. Walsh scored off a Mary Leasure (Portland, Maine/McAuley) pass at the 14:14 mark and sophomore Meghan Williams (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) capped the scoring surge with a free-position goal with 11:06 before the break.

In the four minutes leading up to intermission, Guarnieri and Grace Fitzpatrick (Falmouth, Maine/Cheverus) sandwiched a Kat Gadbois (Scarborough, Maine) marker for the Monks to account for the 7-4 score after 30 minutes of play.

Starting with a Diplock tally just nine seconds after halftime, the conference counterparts essentially traded goals in the second stanza as Baylie Lamarre (Tyngsboro, Mass.) made it an 8-5 game with 19:24 remaining in regulation. Diplock, who accounted for all three of the hosts' goals in a low-scoring second frame, put the Royal Blue up by four with a marker off a Gadbois feed 39 seconds later.

The Cadets cut the Saint Joseph's lead to 9-6 after Fitzpatrick netted a free-position goal at the 17:57 mark and made it a two-goal game when Guarnieri scored her third of the day with 6:31 on the game clock.

Norwich had several chances to draw even closer, but freshman keeper Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.), who entered the contest in relief after Guarnieri's third marker, made several big saves and stoned Fitzpatrick on a free-position attempt with 3:12 left. The Monks managed to control the tempo for the remainder of the game and Diplock iced the contest when she scored her sixth of the day with 19 seconds remaining.

For the Monks, Diplock added five ground balls and three caused turnovers in her best game so far this spring, Gadbois added a goal and an assist with four ground balls, Macy Pagurko (Augusta, Maine) contributed an assist with four ground balls, and Leasure chimed in with a helper, two ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Sophomore Emma Lafrance (Westport, Mass.) picked up a team-high nine ground balls with three caused turnovers and Williams added a goal with six ground balls in the victory.

For the Cadets, Guarnieri netted a hat trick with three ground balls, Fitzpatrick scored twice with nine ground balls, four draw controls and three caused turnovers and Royce added a goal, four draw controls and a pair of ground balls in a losing effort.

In goal, senior Haley Nason (Saco, Maine) picked up the victory after making a pair of saves in the first half while senior Elizabeth Giacchino (Melrose, Mass.) made three saves in 23:29 between the pipes and Astbury logged 6:31 minutes of scoreless play with a pair of stops in relief.

Senior Irene Okubo (Chicago, Ill.) made nine saves in the loss for Norwich.

Overall, Saint Joseph's held a 26-16 lead in shots and a 46-36 advantage in ground balls.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 2-6 in the history of the series with Norwich University. Prior to this afternoon, the Cadets had defeated the Monks in four-straight meetings dating back to the 2010 season.

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.