Men’s Hockey: Three Goal Third Keeps Cadets Atop NEHC Standings

Posted on by George Commo

Courtesy Norwich Sports Information

HENNIKER, NH. — The Norwich University men’s ice hockey team rallied in the third period for the second straight night, scoring three times en route to a 4-2 victory over New England College on Saturday afternoon.

No. 4 nationally-ranked Norwich (14-2-2, 9-1-1 NEHC) picked up a huge New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) victory with the comeback in a battle of the top two teams in the league standings coming into the game.

Christian Thompson (Windham, N.H.), Felix Brassard (St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) and Scott Swanson (Wheaton, Ill.) all scored third-period goals to turn a 2-1 deficit into a two-goal victory at the Lee Clement Arena.

Norwich extended its unbeaten streak to eight straight games with the win and now has a three-point lead over New England College in the NEHC standings. Red-hot Babson College is in third, four points back, but has played one less game than Norwich and NEC.

The Cadets struck first at the 5:41 mark of the first period with Carter Cowlthorp (Boissevain, Manitoba) scoring his second goal of the season off assists from Thompson and Braedyn Aubin (Woodstock, Ontario). Cowlthorp made a pretty move to evade the goalie and then flip the puck into the open net and give Norwich the 1-0 lead.

NEC (11-5-1, 8-3-0 NEHC) tied the game back up at 1-1 with Hunter Hall scoring on a double deflection off two Norwich players with Josh Chamberlain picking up the assist.

The Pilgrims took the 2-1 lead at the 2:24 mark of the second period with Connor Dunn scoring his first goal of the season off assists from Alex Laplante and Jhuwon Davis.

Norwich didn’t score the rest of the second period and once again for the second-straight night faced a road deficit heading to the final period.

Thompson opened the third-period scoring and the comeback bid with Thompson scoring his first goal of the season off assists from Aubin and Cowlthorp.

Norwich took the lead for good at the 9:17 mark of the third period with Brassard blasting a one-timer on a power play past NEC’s Anthony Pupplo to make it 3-2 Cadets. Aubin and Downs picked up the assists on the goal.

Swanson gave Norwich an insurance tally at the 14:30 mark of the third period with his second goal of the season off assists from Gabriel Chicoine (St. Dominique, Quebec) and Brassard.

Norwich senior goalie Tom Aubrun (Chamonix, France) made 22 saves to improve to 13-2-2 on the year. Pupplo made 27 saves in the loss for the Pilgrims.

Norwich returns home to Kreitzberg Arena to take on Skidmore College at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 24 and then No. 5-ranked Hobart College on Saturday, January 25 in a rematch of the last two NEHC Championship games.