Box Score 

PURCHASE, N.Y. -The Norwich University women's ice hockey team took another step toward securing its second straight ECAC East Tournament title on Saturday afternoon as the second-seeded Cadets blasted third-seeded UMass-Boston, 8-0, in a semifinal contest.

The Cadets (17-5-5) advance to Sunday's championship game, where they will face fifth-seeded New England College. The upstart Pilgrims recorded their second straight upset, knocking off top-seeded Manhattanville College 2-1 in Saturday's first semifinal game.

Junior F Brittane Michaud led the Cadets' offense with four goals, while sophomore F Melissa Rundlett scored two goals and added one assist. Sophomore F Julie Fortier added one goal and three helpers for NU, while sophomore D Caitie Banfield finished with three assists.

The eight goals were more than enough for Norwich junior G Cindy Fortin, who stopped all 13 shots that she faced en route to the shutout victory between the pipes for the Cadets.

Norwich outshot UMass-Boston 50-13 in the contest. The Cadets went 3-for-7 on the power play, while the Beacons were 0-for-6 with the man-advantage.

Norwich jumped all over UMass-Boston, outshooting the Beacons 25-4 in the first period and building a 4-0 advantage after the opening stanza. Michaud, who scored four goals in the game, netted a hat trick in the frame to pace the Cadets' offensive attack.

The Cadets opened the scoring at the 9:44 mark of the first period when Michaud scored a power play goal off an assist from sophomore D Sarianne Lynn. Michaud struck again less than three minutes later when she took a feed from Fortier and netted her second marker of the period at the 12:10 mark. Michaud completed her hat trick at 16:31 of the first period when she scored off assists from Rundlett and junior F Sarah Scardino. Fortier got in on the act late in the first period when she scored her team-leading 21st goal of the year at the 18:58 mark off an assist from Banfield.

Norwich extended its advantage to 5-0 late in the second period when Rundlett scored a power play goal off assists from Banfield and senior F Sophie Leclerc at the 19:36 mark.

The Cadets added three more goals in the third period to complete the scoring. Rundlett made it 6-0 less than five minutes into the stanza when she scored a power play marker off a pass from Fortier at the 4:50 mark. Michaud added her fourth goal of the contest at 18:27 of the third period when she scored off a pass from Fortier. Freshman F Courtney Parisot capped the scoring when she scored with just two seconds remaining off a feed from Banfield.

UMass-Boston ends its 2009-10 campaign with a 17-10-0 overall record.