MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Rick Cleaver scored a goal
and added an assist, and David Thompson stopped all 29 shots
that he faced as the fourth-ranked Norwich University men's ice
hockey team defeated No. 7 Middlebury, 3-0, Saturday afternoon in a
ECAC East-NESCAC interlock game at Chip Kenyon Arena.
Norwich (17-4-0, 13-2-0 ECAC East) took a 1-0 lead late in the
first period when Cleaver netted a short-handed goal at the 16:47
mark. The goal, Cleaver's team-leading 22nd tally of the season,
came after D.J. Fimiani executed a two-on-one play perfectly.
Fimiani took the puck in the neutral zone and held onto it until
the last possible instant, when he slid a pass over to Cleaver who
buried it into the gaping net.
The Cadets doubled their lead at the 13:45 mark of the second
period as Eric Lauriault scored a power play goal off as assist
from Cleaver. The goal, Lauriault's 10th of the year came after
Cleaver fed a pass across the goalmouth and onto Lauriault's stick.
The senior captain wasted no time slamming the puck into the back
of the net to give the Cadets a 2-0 advantage.
Eric Ouellette made it 3-0 in favor of the Cadets when he scored
at the 10:49 mark of the third period. Ouellette's goal, his third
of the season, was set up beautifully by Nikita Kashirsky.
Middlebury (14-4-2, 10-3-2 NESCAC) was outshot by Norwich,
30-29. The Panthers could not solve Thompson, who was
brilliant in goal all game long. The sophomore netminder, who made
several tremendous saves throughout the course of the contest,
improves to 11-1-0 on the season.
It marks the second time that Norwich has defeated Middlebury,
as the Cadets posted a 5-2 victory over the Panthers back in
November at the Primelink Shootout. It also marks the first time
since 1981 that Middlebury has been shutout at home.
Norwich returns to action on Friday, Feb. 15, when the Cadets
host Skidmore at Kreitzberg Arena. The ECAC East battle is slated
to begin at 7 p.m., and it can be heard on the radio (WDEV: AM-550,
FM-96.1), and on the internet (http://www.cadetsradio.com/).
