PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Norwich University men's lacrosse team put forth a valiant effort on the road Wednesday afternoon but fell just short in a tightly contested 10-9 battle against JWU (Providence) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.

Case MacDonald (Burke, Va.) led the Cadets' attack with a hat trick, while Drew Fleury (Nashua, N.H.) found the back of the net twice.  James Raymond (Tracy's Landing, Md.), Jake Marcotte (Old Orchard Beach, Maine), David Gosselin (South Burlington, Vt.), and Chris Smith (Dawsonville, Ga.) each added a goal to round out Norwich's scoring efforts.  Raymond also facilitated the offense with two assists, while Marcotte chipped in with one.

The Cadets set the tone early, as Fleury struck first just over three minutes into the contest.  After the Wildcats responded with the equalizer, Fleury added his second of the day on an extra-man opportunity, but JWU managed to knot the game at two before the first intermission.

Norwich regained the lead early in the second quarter on a Marcotte goal off a Raymond feed, but the Wildcats answered in dominant fashion, stringing together four-straight goals to seize a 6-3 advantage.  Undeterred, the Cadets mounted an impressive response, closing the half with two goals of their own to bring the score within one at 6-5.

MacDonald continued Norwich's momentum out of the break, netting back-to-back goals before Gosselin closed the run to push the Cadets ahead, 8-6.  However, JWU took control in the late stages, countering with four goals spanning the third and fourth quarters to reclaim the lead at 10-8.

MacDonald completed his hat trick in the waning seconds, bringing Norwich within one, but time expired before the Cadets could find the equalizer.

Jackson Forbes (Merrimack, N.H.) was key in possession battles, securing 10 faceoff wins while leading all Cadets with seven ground balls.  Defensively, Clayton Cisar (Aberdeen, Md.) anchored the backline with a team-high three caused turnovers.

Goalkeeper Mason Dils (Watervliet, N.Y.) turned in an outstanding performance between the pipes, making 20 saves in a full 60-minute effort to keep Norwich within striking distance throughout the contest.

The Cadets will look to bounce back as they return home for another GNAC showdown, hosting Emmanuel College on Saturday, Mar. 29, on Sabine Field at 4:00 p.m.