Gorham, Maine The Norwich men's ice hockey team finished off its road trip Saturday afternoon with a key match against Southern Maine at USM Ice Arena in what will be its season finale. Sami Mol (Toronto, Ontario) Return to the goal.
He was tested early as Mol and Husky goalkeeper Kyle Penton traded saves in the opening minutes, but the Cadets took the lead just four and a half minutes into the game. Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kansas) If you win the faceoff, the puck Harris Hilfiker (Middletown, New Jersey) Hilfiker touches the blue line in the left circle. Hayden Heinrich (Richmond Hill, Ontario) A long shot goes wide Holden Doggett (Oakville, Ontario) The ball went into the back of the net, scoring the first goal.
Smelling blood, Norwich kept up the pressure, but Penton kept it close. Late in the period, the Huskies found themselves with a one-man advantage. The Cadets denied them, but the game was tied soon after. In the final minute of the period, USM got a turnover in the neutral zone and was on the offensive end. Austin Marini's centering pass found Ethan McDuff to tie the game with 45 seconds left in the period.
Both teams traded chances early in the second half, but Norwich eventually equalised. Ben Van Water Chute (Whitby, Ontario) When you win a faceoff in the offensive zone, the puck goes behind that goal. Brian O'Mara (Syracuse, New York) O'Mara put the puck forward and Van Watershut kicked it over Penton's head to tie the score.
Two and a half minutes later, the Cadets added another point. Paul Schmidt (Linz, Austria) The puck was passed around the boards on a zone entry, but was retrieved by Johnny Johnson (Naperville, Illinois). Johnson knocked the puck away. Patrick Del Vecchio (Mississauga, Ontario)Circling the zone, Penton's wrist shot was a neat touch to extend their lead. Norwich kept their foot on the gas and added another before the break. After winning the ball in the neutral zone, Owen Scrissizzi (Milton Ong) The puck was dropped off to O'Mara for Norwich's third goal of the period.
Midway through the third period, USM was within two. After the Huskies moved the puck in the offensive zone, Curtis Judd scored a goal past Mol to make the score 4-2. As the period progressed, both teams traded for the ball in their respective offensive zones, but the score remained the same. USM brought in Penton as an extra attacker in the final minute, then Colin Elliott (Peterborough, Ontario) He scored the deciding goal in a 5-2 victory and reached 100Number Head Coach Career Wins Cam Ellsworth.
“I thought we showed some really good teamwork,” Ellsworth said.
This win, along with Skidmore's loss, has Norwich in second place in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) playoffs. In the quarterfinals, the Cadets and Huskies will meet for the second consecutive Saturday, this time at Kreitzberg Arena, at 7 p.m.
