SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Senior Madison Gallagher (Kirkland, Quebec) scored twice to lead the Norwich University women's ice hockey team to a 5-0 shutout victory over Saint Michael's College on Friday night at Cairns Arena in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action.

Norwich improved to 10-6-0 overall and 8-1-0 in NEHC play, regaining first place in the league after Saint Anselm beat Castleton 8-0. The Purple Knights drop to 3-12-1 overall and 1-8 in league play.

Norwich had 11 players on the scoresheet, led by Gallagher's pair of goals and a goal and an assist from sophomore Sarah Schwenzfeier (Hingham, Mass./Tabor Academy). Senior Rachel Bellio (Denver, Colo./Maine) and freshman Maddie Tasha (North Falmouth, Mass./Tabor Academy) both provided one goal a swell. 

Freshman Bryn Labbe (Calgary, Alberta/Warner Hockey School) was 17-for-25 on faceoffs and classmate Jessica Piracini (Tewksbury, Mass./Arlington Catholic) was 11-of-12 on draws. Sophomore Laurie King (Waddington, N.Y./Ontario Hockey Academy) turned in an 11-save shutout.

Norwich pumped in three goals during a 19-shot opening period. Schwenzfeier potted the first goal at 3:06 as she one-touched a shot into the left side after receiving a right side half-boards pass from Piracini. Tasha then netted her first collegiate goal by picking the top left corner on a point shot at 10:22.

Norwich scored 1:54 later as Schwenzfeier's blocked shot was picked up by Gallagher, who jammed in the puck to the right side. Purple Knight junior Tori Hubbard fired a point shot that was stopped by King just before time expired.

The Cadets extended their lead to 4-0 after two periods. While on the power play late in the stanza, Norwich senior Taylor Cross (Saugus, Mass./Assabet Valley) received a cross-ice pass and rang a shot off the left post. Less than 30 seconds later, Cross connected with freshman Carly Menges (Novelty, Ohio/Maine) on a tape-to-tape blue-line pass and Menges fed down to Gallagher, whose low shot through traffic beat Talcott blocker side at 15:36 for a player-advantage tally.

Saint Michael's had a pair of scoring chances during a power play midway through the third period. At 9:13, junior Carolyn Avery wristed a shot from the left side that was gobbled up by King and classmate Erin Dwyer tapped a low shot in traffic that was stopped. Norwich potted its final goal with 23 seconds remaining as Bellio scooted up ice and snapped a shot into the left side for a short-handed marker.

Norwich returns home for the first time since Dec. 4 when it hosts Nichols College at 3 p.m. in Kreitzberg Arena.