BOSTON - Senior forward Rick Cleaver netted the
game-winning goal with 1:23 left in overtime to lift the
11th-ranked Norwich men's hockey team over UMass-Boston, 3-2,
Saturday afternoon in an ECAC East contest at the Clark Athletic
Center.
The victory moves the Cadets to 12-3-0 (8-1-0 ECAC East), while
the Beacons fall to 7-6-1 (3-5-1 ECAC East).
Norwich freshman forward Chad Anderson fed Cleaver for a shot
from the far right point that sailed over the right shoulder of the
Beacons' goaltender and into the back of the net for the
game-winning tally and his team-leading 14th goal of the
season.
UMass-Boston sent the contest into overtime when Kris Kranzky
fired a shot from the top of the point past NU goaltender David
Thompson to tie the game at 2-2 with just 25 seconds left on the
third period clock. The Beacons' goal came with an extra attacker,
as they pulled their goaltender at the 1:17 mark.
Junior forward Nikita Kashirsky put the Cadets on the board in
the first period when senior forward Eric Ouellette and senior
forward Raphael Robitaille combined to find him for his 12th goal
of the season at the 16:09 mark.
The Beacons began the second period with a fresh power play
opportunity following an illegal substitution by Norwich and took
advantage when Kranzky fed Dennis Zak for his first collegiate
goal, just 1:15 into the period, to knot the score at 1-1. The
Cadets answered when sophomore forward D.J. Fimiani and senior
defenseman Phil Sbrocchi set up junior forward CJ Viso for his
second goal of the year at 4:56 of the middle period to give them a
2-1 edge.
UMass-Boston goaltender Ryan Donovan was outstanding between the
pipes, stopping a season-high 42 shots, while sophomore David
Thompson made 12 saves for Norwich to earn the victory.
Norwich returns to Kreitzberg Arena for the first time since
winning the Times Argus Invitational championship on Jan. 25-26,
when the Cadets take on conference rivals Trinity and Wesleyan.
Both games can be heard on the radio (WDEV: AM-550, FM-96.1), and
on the internet (http://www.cadetsradio.com/),
with George Commo calling the action.
