Box Score
Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University men's ice hockey team fought off a fierce effort from Castleton State to edge the Spartans 2-1 and advance to its sixth straight ECAC East Championship game.
Senior defenseman Bryce Currier (Essex Junction, Vt.) had a goal and an assist to lead the Cadets' offense as they extended their unbeaten streak to 13 straight in the Battle of Vermont rivalry with Castleton.
Currier scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal at the 16:10 mark of the second period when he scored his second goal of the season off assists from Corey Hale (Montreal, Quebec) and Kevin Salvucci (Plymouth, Mass.).
Currier took a pass from Hale on the right wing and wristed a shot under the glove of Castleton State goalie Ryan Mulder for the game-winning goal.
Currier also set up the Cadets' first goal of the game with a picturesque tape to tape pass to spring Dmitry Ermakov (Columbia, Md.) on a breakaway. Currier threaded a pass through two Castleton defenders and found Ermakov in stride at the blue line. Ermakov momentarily lost the puck, but he kicked it back up with his left skate and then fired a wrist shot past the blocker of Mulder for his first goal of the season. Alec Brandrup (Rochester, Minn.) notched the secondary assist on the goal at 17:36 of the first period to give Norwich the lead.
Castleton (11-16-0) answered just 51 seconds into the second period with Brendan Moffatt scored on his backhand off his own rebound with an assist to Trevor Hanna. Hanna slid the puck over to Moffatt at the right side and then Moffatt backhanded the puck into Reichenbach's pad, the rebound kicked right back to Moffat and he flipped the puck over Reichenbach to tie the game up at 1-1.
Reichenbach finished with 13 saves to improve to 13-1-1 on the season. Mulder took the loss after making 22 saves. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play with Norwich outshooting Castleton 24-14.
The Cadets will now meet Babson for the third straight season and fifth time in the last six seasons in the ECAC East Championship game. Norwich will be looking for its 11th ECAC East Tournament title and first since 2012. Babson has defeated Norwich 2-1 in each of the last two seasons. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
-CADETS-
