NEWTON, Mass. - The Norwich University women's lacrosse team continued its undefeated start to the 2026 campaign on Saturday afternoon, rallying for a dramatic 13-12 victory over Lasell University in the Cadets' Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener at Grellier Field.  Colby Magoon (Loudon, N.H.) delivered the decisive moment, scoring the game-winning goal in the final seconds to cap a thrilling comeback.

Six Cadets combined for Norwich's 13 goals, led by a dominant six-point performance from Caitlyn Fielder (East Calais, Vt.), who scored five goals and added an assist.  Fielder converted three free-position opportunities and anchored the Cadets throughout the comeback effort.  Magoon, Vivian Buntin (Middlebury, Conn.), and Sophia Albright (East Dummerston, Vt.) each added two goals, while Lauren Labbe (Brunswick, Maine) and Caitlin Slider (Thetford Center, Vt.) chipped in a goal apiece.  Slider recorded two assists, while Buntin also tallied a helper.

"This was a huge character win for us," said Head Coach Ian Thomas. "You never know what to expect in early season conference matchups.  Lasell is very fundamentally sound and they have playmakers all over the field."

The Lasers struck first just 26 seconds into the contest, but Norwich responded quickly when Slider found Buntin less than three minutes later to even the score at 1-1.  After nearly ten minutes of scoreless action, Lasell seized momentum late in the first quarter, scoring twice in the final two minutes before adding another goal 16 seconds into the second frame to build a 4-1 advantage.

Norwich began to chip away midway through the second quarter as Magoon and Buntin each converted free-position opportunities to trim the deficit to one.  Lasell answered with three consecutive goals, capitalizing on several man-up situations to extend the lead once again.  Fielder provided a spark for the Cadets just before halftime, weaving through four Lasell defenders before firing a shot into the back of the net to send Norwich into the break trailing 7-4.

"Responding to adversity is built into our culture," Thomas said.  "Today we were pushed to the edge, on the road, down by four in the third quarter, and we learned a lot about our identity.  We played with a lot of passion and stayed composed through some tough calls early on.  Our discipline, systems, and composure ended up being the difference in this game."

Lasell opened the third quarter with its eighth goal to push the margin to four, but the Cadets answered with an emphatic response.  Fielder ignited the comeback with two consecutive goals before Slider finished a free-position attempt set up by Fielder to bring Norwich within one.  Labbe followed with an unassisted strike to tie the contest at 8-8, and Albright capped the five-goal rally by fighting through five Lasell defenders in front of the crease to give Norwich its first lead since the opening quarter.

The Lasers responded early in the fourth, knotting the game at 9-9 just over a minute into the period.  Buntin quickly restored the Cadets' advantage, connecting with Albright for another Norwich tally, but Lasell answered with two quick goals to reclaim the lead.

Fielder continued her standout afternoon with another free-position goal at the 8:14 mark to even the score once again, and after Lasell regained a one-goal advantage with just under five minutes remaining, Fielder delivered once more.  Her third successful free-position conversion of the game tied the contest at 12-12 with three-and-a-half minutes to play.

A Lasell green card with 20 seconds remaining created a final opportunity for the Cadets.  Magoon seized the moment, evading a defender from seven meters out before drilling a shot into the upper corner of the net to give Norwich the lead.  Labbe secured the ensuing draw control to seal the dramatic GNAC victory.

Norwich held a narrow 15-13 advantage in ground balls, with Fielder collecting a team-high four.  The Cadets also forced 11 turnovers, led by four caused turnovers from Fielder.

Audrey Campbell (Foxborough, Mass.) earned her first collegiate victory in goal, recording three saves across 30 minutes in the second half.  Bailey Ingala (West Hartford, Conn.) also saw action in the crease, finishing with three saves during the opening half.

"I am incredibly proud of our team, especially how we executed in the last two minutes of the game," Thomas said.  "Picture perfect defense to get the ball on the turf, then Audrey made a huge play to come out of goal and get possession.  Colby has been earning her stripes and looking for opportunities to make plays all year and today her hard work came to fruition in the biggest moment of the game."

Norwich controlled possession throughout the contest, winning 17 draw controls compared to 10 for the Lasers.  Labbe led the effort with a game-high six draw victories, while Buntin, Fielder, and Magoon also secured wins in the circle.

The Cadets will have a quick turnaround, traveling to Plattsburgh State University on Monday, Mar. 9, for a 4:00 p.m. matchup in a rescheduled contest originally slated for Feb. 24.  Norwich will then return to Sabine Field for the first time this season, hosting Curry College on Thursday, Mar. 12.