Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Sophomore William Pelletier (St. Jean Chrysostome, Quebec) scored two goals and added an assist for a three-point night en route to earning MVP honors and leading the Norwich University men's ice hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Buffalo State on Saturday at Kreitzberg Arena in the 2015 Northfield Savings Bank Holiday Tournament championship game.

Pelletier was named the MVP for the second year in a row after totaling three goals and two assists on the weekend to lead Norwich (11-0-1, 7-0-0 ECAC East) to its second straight NSB Holiday Tournament title.

After a scoreless first period, Pelletier broke the ice with a power play goal at the 3:19 mark of the second period off assists from senior defenseman Corey Hale (Montreal Quebec) and freshman forward Kevin Salvucci (Plymouth, Mass.) for his first goal of the night and gave NU a 1-0 lead. Pelletier sent a shot through traffic that found its way past Buffalo State goalie Ian Sylves for his sixth goal of the season.

Norwich added to its lead at the 8:48 mark when sophomore defenseman Brian Rowland (Waltham, Mass.) notched his first goal of the season with a wrist shot from the half boards that Sylves was screened on. Pelletier and junior forward Dean Niezgoda (Brewster, Mass.) picked up assists on the goal.

Buffalo State (4-7-2) cut into Norwich's lead at the 17:27 mark when Jake Rosen fired a low shot past freshman goalie Braeden Ostepchuk (Lethbridge, Alberta) from the low slot on the power play to make it 2-1. Brett Hope and Sean Hrivnak tallied assists for the Bengals on Rosen's goal.

Norwich responded just over a minute later though with Pelletier striking again for a short-handed tally off an assist from Niezgoda. Niezgoda won a faceoff in NU's defensive zone and then he hit a streaking Pelletier on the right side. Pelletier carried the puck with speed past the Buffalo State defense and cut to the center of the ice to come in all alone on Sylves.

Pelletier waited and then flipped the puck over to his backhand and slid it past Sylves for his second goal of the night and seventh of the season to give Norwich its two-goal lead back heading into the second intermission.

Sophomore forward Tyler Piacentini (South Weymouth, Mass.) capped the scoring with an empty-net goal at the 15:39 mark of the third period for his seventh goal of the year. Sophomore forward Paul Russell (Andover, Mass.) picked up the lone assist.

Ostepchuk made 16 saves for Norwich to improve to 6-0-0 on the season. Sylves stopped 26 shots for the Buffalo State.

Sylves and Rosen were named to the All-Tournament team for Buffalo State, while Norwich's Niezgoda and Ty Reichenbach (Billings, Mont.) were also listed on the squad. Colby's EJ Rauseo and Neumann's Shayne Morrissey rounded out the All-Tournament squad.

Norwich has now won its holiday tournament 11 times in the 16 years it has hosted it. The Cadets will look to keep their unbeaten streak alive on Tuesday, Jan. 6 when its travels to Lake Champlain rival Plattsburgh State for a 7 p.m. non-conference showdown with the Cardinals. Norwich beat Plattsburgh 5-1 earlier this season at the PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut.

-CADETS-