Courtesy Norwich Sports Information
NORTHFIELD – The Norwich University women’s ice hockey team continued its dominance in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action with a 9-1 victory over New England College in its first league game in two months on Monday at Kreitzberg Arena.
Sophomore forward Amanda Conway (Methuen, Mass.) scored a hat trick as part of a five-point night to lead Norwich (13-1-1, 7-0-0 NEHC) to its 18th all-time victory vs. New England College. The Cadets improved to 18-1-1 vs. the Pilgrims all-time withMonday’s win.
Conway’s classmate and line mate Sophie McGovern (Hermantown, Minn.) tallied a goal and three assists for four points, while juniors Bryn Labbe (Calgary, Alberta) and Adrieana Rossini (Malden, Mass.) each chipped in with two goals apiece.
Senior defenseman Kim Tiberi (Raleigh, N.C.) notched three assists to round out Norwich’s offensive leaders in the explosive night.
Conway gave Norwich a 1-0 lead just 3:40 into the game when she picked off a NEC outlet pass at the top of the left faceoff circle. She deked around two Pilgrim defenders and then slipped the puck past NEC goalie Jackie Clark’s outstretched glove at the right post to give the Cadets a lead they would never look back from.
Norwich added to the lead at the 14:23 mark with beautiful redirection goal by Rossini off a great centering pass from the right half boards by Sarah Schwenzfeier (Hingham, Mass.). Schwenzfeier skated in down the right wing and sent a perfect pass to the crease to find Rossini crashing the net on the left side and she redirected the puck past Clark for her eighth goal of the season.
The Cadets made it 3-0 before the first intermission when Conway scored her second of the night by tipping a shot on the left doorstep of the crease by Tiberi from the point on the power play. Robyn Foley (Goulds, Newfoundland and Labrador) had the second assist.
Norwich poured it on in the second period, outshooting the Pilgrims 21-4 and tallying four more goals. Labbe scored twice with McGovern and Rossini also scoring a goal each as well.
Schwenzfeier added Norwich’s eighth goal at the 4:54 mark of the third period off an assist from Tiberi, while Conway capped the hat trick at the 9:34 mark off assists from McGovern and Maggie Conroy (Batavia, Ill.)
New England College (2-13-1, 1-5-0 NEHC) broke up the shutout at the 12:12 mark of the third period with a power play goal off a scrum in front of the crease. The Pilgrims capitalized on a NU defender falling in her own zone and got a shot off by Kathleen Zimmerman that was saved by Lambert. However, Katie Donahue shoveled in the rebound for the Pilgrims.
Norwich outshot NEC 46-17 for the game. Freshman goalie Emily Lambert (Riverview, Mich.) improved to 3-0-0 on the season, making 16 saves in goal for the Cadets.
Clark made 37 saves for NEC to fall to 1-9-1 on the year.
Norwich takes on Endicott on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in another non-conference matchup at Kreitzberg Arena. The Cadets will then travel down to Elmira, N.Y. to take on the No. 3-ranked Soaring Eagles in a huge non-league tilt on Saturday at 3 p.m.