Box
Score
NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Freshman F Blake Forkey
netted his first career hat trick, and freshman F Kyle Thomas
scored a pair of goals to help lead the 10th-ranked Norwich
University men's ice hockey team to a convincing 9-1 victory over
No. 7 Wisconsin-Stout Friday evening at Kreitzberg Arena.
The victory vaults the Cadets into the 2009 PrimeLink Great
Northern Shootout championship game, where they will face
third-ranked Plattsburgh State on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. The
Cardinals advanced to the title game by defeating No. 9 Middlebury,
3-1, in the first semifinal of the day.
The Cadets, who outshot the Blue Devils 53-14 in the contest,
scored three goals in the first period and added five more in the
second en route to the lopsided victory.
Thomas got Norwich (3-0-0) off to a quick start, scoring a power
play goal at 6:38 of the first period. The marker was assisted by
junior D Greg Eskedjian and senior D Steve Coon. Thomas made it 2-0
less than two minutes later when he stole a pass in the
Wisconsin-Stout zone and beat Blue Devils' GK Tom Lescovich for an
unassisted goal.
The Cadets increased their lead to 3-0 at the 17:32 mark of the
first period when freshman F Colin Mulvey netted his first career
goal off an assist from senior F D.J. Fimiani.
Norwich held a commanding 20-3 edge in shots on goal during the
first period, which the Cadets thoroughly dominated.
Three goals by Forkey ignited a five-goal second period for the
Cadets as they pulled away from the Blue Devils. NU lit the lamp
three times in the first 5:13 of the frame to extend its lead to
6-0 and effectively put the game away. The first-year forward got
it started just 1:07 into the stanza when he scored off assists
from freshman F Matt McCann and junior F Chad Anderson. Forkey made
it 5-0 at 4:48 of the second off assists from Coon and Anderson.
Freshman F Steven Schroeder tallied his first marker of the year at
the 5:13 mark off a feed from sophomore D Owen Carpino. Schroeder's
goal chased Lescovich from the game after just 25 minutes of
action.
Senior D Eric Tallent moved the lead to 7-0 at the 11:20 mark of
the second period when he scored a short-handed goal off a pretty
pass from freshman F Scott Schroeder. Forkey completed his hat
trick at the 15:40 mark of the second period when he took a feed
from Anderson and scored.
The Cadets dialed down the pressure in the third period with
Coon scoring the team's lone goal at the 10:38 mark. The tally,
which came on the power play, was assisted by Fimiani.
Wisconsin-Stout (4-3-2) broke up the shutout when Derek Hanson
scored off assists from Joel Gaulrapp and David Larson at the 14:56
mark.
Senior GK Ryan Klingensmith stopped nine shots to earn the win
for the Cadets. Freshman GK Alex Dubois made his collegiate debut
when he came on to relieve Klingensmith midway through the third
period. The first-year net minder made four saves, while allowing
the Blue Devils' lone goal. Lescovich and Mike Morgan, who played
the final 34:47, both finished with 22 saves for Wisconsin-Stout.
Norwich went 2-for-2 on the power play, while Wisconsin-Stout
was 0-for-3.
The Cadets will host Plattsburgh State in the PrimeLink Great
Northern Shootout championship game on Saturday, Nov. 28, at
Kreitzberg Arena. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. The game can be
heard live on the radio at WDEV (550 AM; 96.1 FM) and on the
internet at cadetsradio.com.
