NORTHFIELD, Vt.- In their first postseason contest since 2011, the Norwich Women's Soccer team would ride a historic effort from Harley Murphy (Guyton, Ga.) to defeat the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) 7-3 on Sabine Field Thursday evening for their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament win since 2010.

The Cadets held the early territorial edge in the contest and would make it count. Lindsey Duggan (Belmont, N.H.) would pick the pocket of a Blue Jay defender in the attacking midfield and immediately passed it off to Kat Probst (Gouverneur, N.Y.) before touching it along to Murphy who sent a ball across the box to the bottom right corner to break the ice in the 12^th minute. Five minutes later, crisp passing by USJ to Alana Picard at the top of the box would tie the game.

Soon after, in the 21^st minute, Picard would corral the ball after it pinballed around and sent it just under the crossbar to give the Blue Jays the lead. The lead stood for nine minutes before Norwich answered. A USJ clearing attempt would be met by Harleigh Cornellier (Tyngsborough, Mass.) in the midfield who sprung Murphy who popped the ball over the keeper's head to tie the game. Probst and Murphy connected again late in the half to give Norwich the one goal lead at the half and sealing a hat trick for the junior forward.

Midway through the second half, Murphy would score her fourth goal of the night off a centering pass from Bella Roy (Weare, N.H.) which tied her for the program record for most goals in a single game, and tying for second for most points in a game. Nearly a minute later, Probst added another goal off a Duggan throw in to further extend the advantage for the maroon and gold. The Blue Jays would answer with Picard capping off her hat trick on a penalty kick.

Three minutes later, off a free kick, the ball would be sent into the box before it deflected off a USJ defender and into the net. For good measure, Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) would convert on a breakaway to push the final score to 7-3 in a game where the Cadets outshot the Blue Jays 21-9.

Norwich will now hit the road as the GNAC Tournament rolls on, as they will travel to Boston to take on second seeded Emmanuel Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM.