BOSTON – Emmanuel men's lacrosse put themselves back in the running for hosting duties in the upcoming postseason tournament thanks to a 9-8 victory over the Norwich Cadets on Wednesday night in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Clemente Field. The Saints improve to 7-7 (6-3 GNAC), while the Cadets fall to 6-7 (5-4 GNAC).

Wednesday's win started with a run of three straight goals for the Saints scored across the opening 9:06 of the game. Juniors Nikko Kelly and Brandon Shuman, along with senior Samuel Yan helped the Saints out to a 3-0 lead. The two sides exchanged goals in the final minutes, including the second of the night for Kelly, giving the Saints a 4-1 edge after a quarter.

The Cadets bounced back in the second quarter with a three-goal run spanning 2:35, tying the game at 4-4. The offense slowed for the remainder of the half, but not before Kelly finished off a first half hat trick to lift the home side to a 5-4 lead at the break.

Emmanuel's one-goal advantage carried into the fourth quarter as both teams traded a goal in the third quarter, as the Saints led 6-5. The home side looked poised to hold on comfortably after scoring three of the first four goals of the final frame, taking a 9-6 lead in the process.

But in the final two minutes, goals by Jackson Forbes and Drew Fleury, with 98 and 16 seconds remaining, respectively, pushed Wednesday's game back to a one-goal contest. On the ensuing faceoff with 16 seconds remaining, the Saints controlled the draw and ran out the final seconds, on the way to a 9-8 win.

Kelly finished with a career-high four goals to lead all players on Wednesday evening. Shuman and senior Ethan Madura both added a pair of goals in the win. Sophomore goalie Colby Enos made 12 stops in the Emmanuel cage, improving to 5-7 this season.

The Saints return to play on Saturday, April 19, hosting Rivier University at noon on Clemente Field. Prior to the start of the game, Emmanuel will celebrate the Class of 2026 in a brief Senior Day ceremony.