Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's ice hockey team had its bid for five straight New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Tournament titles dashed in a 2-0 loss to No. 3-seed UMass Boston on Saturday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena.
UMass Boston (16-12-0) got goals from Jenny Currie and Kayla Smith, while Rachel Myette made 35 saves as the Beacons won their first-ever NEHC title and clinched their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid as well.
Despite outshooting UMass Boston 35-17, Norwich (21-7-0) was unable to solve Myette all night long as the Cadets had their 12-game winning streak snapped and failed to win the league tournament title for just the second time in the last eight seasons.
Myette was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player after making 80 saves on 81 shots in the Beacons' improbable tournament title run. Currie was named to the All-Tournament team after scoring four goals for UMass Boston in the three games. She was joined by teammates Arielle Gallucci and Alli Bianchini. Norwich's Taylor Cross (Saugus, Mass.) and Sarah Schwenzfeier (Hingham, Mass.) were named to the All-Tournament team for the Cadets.
UMass Boston took a 1-0 lead at the 13:34 mark of the first period when Gallucci fired a backhand sauce pass from her own blue line right to the tape of Currie to spring the Beacons' leading scorer on a breakaway. She made no mistake, skating in and firing a wrist shot that beat Celeste Robert (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec) to her blocker side for her 17th goal of the season.
Despite getting outshot 11-6 in the first period and 13-4 in the second period, the Beacons withstood the Norwich pressure and carried the 1-0 lead into the second intermission.
Norwich frantically tried to find the equalizer in the third period, including hitting two posts and having Cross in alone on Myette. However, it wasn't meant to be as the Cadets couldn't find the back of the net.
UMass Boston added an insurance tally at the 7:56 mark of the third period with Kayla Smith turning below the left faceoff circle and sliding the puck through Robert's five-hole to make it 2-0 Beacons. Bianchini and Jane Morrisette picked up assists on Smith's third goal of the season.
Norwich outshot UMass Boston again in the third period by an 11-7 margin, but the Cadets still couldn't solve Myette as she posted her fourth shutout of the season and improved to 13-7-0 on the year. Robert finished the year at 15-5-0.
UMass Boston punched its ticket into the eight-team NCAA Tournament field. Norwich is left hoping for one of two Pool C at-large bids. The NCAA Selection Show is Monday, Mar. 7 at 10 a.m. and can be streamed live at www.ncaa.com.
