PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Senior attacker Emily Caoili (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington) tied her single-game program record in assists with three, as head coach Kelly Wall earned her first victory at the helm of the Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse program with the Cardinals' 17-5 home-opening win over non-conference Norwich University on Tuesday afternoon at the Field House Complex.
 
Caoili matched her single-game program-record total that she set on March 4, 2020, at Norwich, and she also added three goals for six points. Junior midfielder Caroline Noia (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) notched six points as well with five goals and one assist, while first-year attacker/midfielder Caitlin Nash (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) and first-year attacker Maddy Garcia (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) recorded three points each with three goals and two goals and one assist, respectively.
 
The Cardinals finished with a 30-15 edge in shots, and both teams were strong on clears, with Norwich going 18-for-19 and Plattsburgh State going 19-for-23. Plattsburgh State held a slight 14-12 edge in draw controls, while Norwich owned a 26-23 advantage in ground balls. The Cardinals scored seven goals on 10 free-position shot attempts, while the Cadets were 1-for-2 on free positions.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 1-1 overall with the win and next visits Utica College tomorrow at 4 p.m. Norwich falls to 1-1 overall with the loss next visits Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday, March 12, at 3 p.m.
 
Caoili and Noia scored the first two goals of the game in the opening 3:09, while Norwich answered back with a goal from sophomore midfielder Jasmin Contreras that was assisted by senior attacker Michaila Furchak. The Cardinals broke the game open with eight unanswered goals that spanned three quarters, beginning with a goal by Noia midway through the first quarter. Junior midfielder Lindsay Guzzetta (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) cashed in on a feed from Caoili less than a minute later before Noia scored with 2:27 remaining in the first to give Plattsburgh State a 5-1 advantage through 15 minutes of play.
 
Noia scored woman-up with 3:58 left in the second quarter before Caoili and Garcia each tallied in the waning minutes of the second quarter to put the Cardinals in front, 8-1, at the half.
 
Noia and Nash scored goals 38 seconds apart to open the third quarter before Norwich's junior attacker Valentina Drown broke up the surge with a marker midway through the period. Caoili connected with Guzzetta for a goal with 7:53 remaining in the third before junior defender/midfielder Emma McLaughlin (Northport, N.Y./Northport) provided assists to Nash and sophomore attacker/midfielder Fiona Fitzgerald (Long Beach, N.Y./Holy Trinity), with Fitzgerald's strike coming woman-up. Nash buried a pass from Garcia to extend the Plattsburgh State advantage to 14-2, but senior midfielder Allison Sturgeon scored for the Cadets to trim the gap to 14-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Caoili opened scoring in the fourth quarter by finding the back of the net on a pass from Noia, while senior midfielder Davina Gyedu (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) tallied her first goal as a Cardinal 1:07 later. Norwich's Sturgeon scored two straight goals, the second of which was assisted by first-year midfielder Quinn Mustone, while Garcia closed out scoring with a goal 1:41 before the final horn.
 
Sophomore defender Janey Adams (Wynantskill, N.Y./Averill Park) and McLaughlin led the Cardinals' defensive effort with five and four caused turnovers, respectively, while Adams scooped up five ground balls. In addition, junior attacker Katie Kallamni (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) controlled six draws.
 
For Norwich, Sturgeon finished with three goals and had three draw controls, while Contreras controlled four draws and scooped up four ground balls.
 
Sophomore goalie Johanna Malone (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) turned aside five shots in the win for the Cardinals, while senior goalie Katie Bishop Manning made five saves in the loss for the Cadets.