NORTHFIELD, Vt. - September 1, 2017 - The Colby-Sawyer women's soccer team defeated Norwich, 3-0, in a season opener for both teams on Friday evening. 

The Chargers have won six straight against the Cadets with three consecutive shutouts. Colby-Sawyer will travel to Middlebury on Sept. 6 to face the 17th ranked Panthers at 4 p.m.

Former Colby-Sawyer women's soccer standout Heather Faasse '15 joined the Norwich coaching staff earlier this year as an assistant coach.  

The match began with back and forth action as both teams tried to get their legs under them in the first contest of the season. The Chargers then broke through in the 28th minute to go in front 1-0. Junior Hannah Fields (Shapleigh, Maine) received a through ball from midfield off the foot of sophomore Haley Thurber (Sutton, Mass.) and beat the Norwich back-line to score her first tally with the Chargers. 

Three minutes later, Fields put home her second goal of the contest after a Morgan Keene (Barre, Vt.) shot deflected off a Cadet. 

Colby-Sawyer held an 11-4 advantage in shots in the first half. 

The visitors kept the pressure on in the second half and added a third goal. Fields was involved again as she set up senior teammate Natalie Shear (Wayland, Mass.). Fields was driving down the right flank when she found Shear trailing her. Shear then let one fly from 30 yards into the back of the net over the leaping keeper. 

Sophomore Sam Mitchell (Chester, N.H.) earned the clean sheet with five saves for the Chargers.

Katie Bishop-Manning had eight saves for Norwich. Zorya Webster led the Cadets with four shots. 

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