BOSTON – The Norwich women's ice hockey team won its eighth straight game with a 5-0 shutout of UMass-Boston and in the process clinched its first ECAC East regular season title in program history.
The Cadets (18-3-1, 15-0-1 ECAC East) got goals from Sophie Leclerc, Julie Fortier, Jillayne DeBus, Stephanie Invernizzi and Haley Gibson as well as an 11-save shutout performance from freshman goaltender Joanie Plamondon.
Fortier scored just 25 seconds into the game off a feed from Renee Lortie for her 16th tally of the year to give Norwich the only lead it would need in the game.
DeBus gave the Cadets some breathing room with another tally at the 11:23 mark of the second period off assists from Brittane Michaud and Leclerc.
Norwich poured it on in the third period with three more goals and Michaud picking up assists on two of them to round out her night with a team-leading three points.
The Cadets outshot UMass-Boston 41-11. The Beacons' Leah Hallett made 36 stops to fall to 8-8 on the year. The shutout was Norwich's fifth in the last eight games and Plamondon's second of her career.
Norwich returns home to Kreitzberg Arena to close out the regular season with a date with arch-rival Manhattanville on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. and then a Sunday matinee with Nichols at 3 p.m.
