Box Score
Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, Multimedia Specialist
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University women's soccer freshman midfielder Jordan Kacur (Cato-Meridian, N.Y.) scored with 4:06 left into the first overtime to lift the Cadets to a thrilling 5-4 victory over Rivier in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
Norwich (3-8-1, 1-5-0 GNAC) picked up its first league win of the season in thrilling fashion in a back and forth game that featured five different lead changes.
Kacur and sophomore forward Tiana Cass (Torrington, Conn.) each notched two goals, while freshman forward Kristen Dukette (Northfield, Vt.) scored one as well.
Kacur collected a bouncing ball about 25 yards away from goal and fired a shot past Rivier goalkeeper Lauren Goodspeed to send the Cadets' bench pouring onto the field to celebrate.
Norwich took the lead 35 seconds into the game with Cass racing through the Rivier defense and firing a shot into the corner of the net to give the Cadets an early 1-0 lead on her fifth goal of the season. Freshman Danielle Johnson (Groton, Mass.) picked up the assist after bombing a through ball down the field that Cass ran down for the goal.
Rivier responded at the 4:29 mark with Paxton LaRocque scoring her first goal of the night off a crossing pass from the right from Nicole Godschall.
Cass scored her second of the game at the 31:52 mark by burying a shot with authority just inside the post after the goalkeeper got an initial piece of her first shot. Jenna Perkins (Nottingham, N.H.) picked up the assist after playing a through ball to Cass.
Rivier tied the game back up at 2-2 in the 39th minute with LaRocque once again scoring for the Raiders.
Rivier took its first lead of the game in the 43rd minute with Maggie Cohoon scoring her first of the game to make it 3-2 Raiders heading into halftime.
Kacur scored her first collegiate goal in the 57th minute, burying a rebound chance off the right post after sophomore Ashley Carvalho's penalty kick attempt nailed the cross bar and bounced back out.
Rivier responded on a penalty kick rebound goal of its own in the 75th minute with Cohoon collecting her own rebound after NU sophomore goalkeeper Leandra Flores-Nieves (Colorado Springs, Colo.) made the initial save.
Norwich tied the game back up at 4-4 in the 78th minute with Dukette racing down the right side of the field and burying a shot into the bottom left corner of the net with a defender draped all over her. Junior midfielder Mehgan McMullen picked up the assist after playing a long ball over the top down the right wing.
Flores-Nieves made eight saves for the Cadets to pick up her first victory of the season. Goodspeed made eight saves as well for Rivier.
Norwich will look to keep the momentum rolling on Saturday when it hosts Albertus Magnus at 5 p.m. in its final home regular season match of 2015. Prior to the game, NU will honor its seniors in a pre-game ceremony for Senior Night.
