NORTHFIELD, Vt.—Rachel Wallace (Braintree, Mass.) connected on a free-position shot with 1:06 left to lead the Simmons Sharks to an 11-10 win against Norwich University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action on Wednesday afternoon.
With the loss, the Cadets fall to 4-7 overall and 3-5 in GNAC play, while the win improves the Sharks to 8-3 overall and 7-2 in league action.
Greer Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) netted a game-high five goals for the Sharks, who also saw two goals and an assist by Wallace and single tallies from Leanne Luke (Newton, Mass.), Ashley Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.), Megan Coffey (Wilmot Flat, N.H.) and Hannah McGoldrick (Newton, Mass.).
Following a Norwich turnover with 1:32 to play, Simmons' Wellie Antonellis (Keene, N.H.) scooped up the ground ball and sprinted to the offensive zone. Wallace was positioned on the eight-yard line and was fouled attempting to catch the pass from Antonellis, setting her up for the game-winning free-position goal with just over a minute to play. The Sharks won the final draw control and retained possession for the final minute.
Simmons opened the second half by overcoming a one-goal deficit as Gilbert netted back-to-back goals to set the score at 6-5. Gina Conroy and Chandler Camlin responded with goals for the Cadets to put the game back in Norwich's favor. The Cadets carried the lead for almost seven minutes until McGoldrick recorded the equalizer at 7-7.
Conroy set up Fitzpatrick for the go-ahead goal with 8:59 left to play, but the Sharks' Gilbert drew a quick foul and evened the score at 8-8 just 19 seconds later on a free-position shot to the top left corner of the net.
Gilbert put the Sharks ahead a 9-8 after collecting a ground ball in the defensive end, clearing it herself, and sprinting past the Norwich defense to create the open shot with 7:47 left on the clock. 29 seconds later, Simmons took the two-goal lead as Stephanie Oliveri (Waltham, Mass.) found Coffey for the goal.
Back-to-back goals by Fitzpatrick at 6:58 and 3:48 brought the Cadets back from a two-goal deficit, but scoring silenced for the next 2:22 until Wallace's game-winner.
The two teams traded the first eight goals of the game beginning with the first goal of the game by Simmons' Leanne Luke. The Sharks did not trail until Camlin netted her 14th goal of the season with 4:45 to give the Cadets the 5-4 lead at halftime.
Norwich goaltender Cheyenne Mata-Notel recorded eight saves for the Cadets. Simmons netminder Crystal Derosier recorded 12 saves in the win for the Sharks.
Fitzpatrick totaled a game-high nine ground balls for Norwich, while Gilbert led the Sharks with four ground balls.
The Cadets return to action on Saturday when they host Saint Joseph's of Maine in a 2:00 p.m. GNAC tilt to round out conference play for the 2013 season. The Sharks travel to Rhode Island College on the same date for their final game of the regular season. The game is set to begin at 12:00 p.m.