Senior Leslie Hayden (Ross, Calif.) set the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) all-time goals scored in conference play record netting her 41st and 42nd career GNAC goals to lift the Suffolk University Rams (7-6-1, 5-5-1 GNAC) to a 4-0 victory past the Norwich University Cadets (9-3-2, 6-3-2 GNAC) on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Melissa Brouillette (Shelton, Conn.) extended her scoreless streak to 497 minutes in goal for the Rams as she pushed aside 11 shots as the Rams garnered a much needed victory in GNAC play to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Brouillette posted her sixth shutout of the season, and fifth in as many games as Suffolk picks up their fifth win in league play and seventh on the season.
Hayden got the scoring started five minutes into the contest as she took a pass from sophomore Monica Wolf (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) and broke away from two Cadets defenders to score her 41st career goal in GNAC games, which set the all-time mark for the league.
Sophomore Gabrielle Balestrier (Mohnton, Pa.) would strike twenty minutes later in the first half as the Rams once again eluded the Norwich defense. Sophomore Meghan McHale (Halifax, Mass.) bolted a free kick from midfield that Balestrier chased down knocking in her second goal of the season to give the Rams to two goal edge.
Hayden would strike again in the game's fifty-sixth minute as she converted on a penalty kick for her 18th goal of the year and 11th goal in four games.
The McHale-Balestrier combination sealed the game off for Suffolk in the sixty-sixth minute as McHale headed in her fourth goal of the year off of a corner kick by Balestrier.
The Cadets had trouble getting much going offensively despite registering 20 shots during the contest. Norwich was flagged for 25 fouls in the contest, which seemed to play into Suffolk's advantage late as the Cadets became unraveled being charged with three yellow cards in the game's final twenty minutes.
Their best scoring opportunities of the game came within the final ten minutes of the contest as Brouillette pushed aside shots by junior Bianca Bogda (Cranston, R.I.) and a bullet from point-blank range by junior Brittany Casey (Pointe-Calire, Que.) to preserve the shutout.
Sophomore Allison Hull (South Royalston, Vt.) made five saves in goal for the Cadets.
With the win the Rams move into a dead heat for the eighth and final playoff spot with Emerson College, who fell to St. Joseph College of Connecticut on Saturday afternoon. Suffolk and Emerson will meet next Saturday at 2:00pm, a matchup that could determine the playoff fate for both teams. Suffolk will first meet Rivier College this Wednesday for their final regular season home game at Dilboy Stadium beggining at 6:00pm.
Norwich falls to 6-3-2 in the league which stands for fifth place with 20 points, while they boast an overall record of 9-3-2 on the year. The Cadets will take on the Blue Jay of St. Joseph College on Wednesday at 3:30pm in GNAC action.