Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The Norwich University men's ice hockey team used a six-goal second period to build up a 7-1 lead, before holding on for a 8-5 win at Lake Champlain-rival Plattsburgh State on Friday night at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
No. 2-nationally ranked Norwich (12-1-1, 8-1-0 NEHC) extended its winning streak to nine straight games with the victory as junior Kevin Salvucci (Plymouth, Mass.) led the way with five points.
NU senior
William Pelletier (St. Jean Chrysostome, Quebec) provided two goals, one assist and 13 faceoff wins. Senior
Anthony Flaherty (South, Boston, Mass.) scored twice, while juniors
Alec Brandrup (Rochester, Minn.),
Connor Evangelista (Wakefield, Mass.) and
Payton Baldillez (Arlington, Texas) each had two assists. Freshman
Ian Williams (Milestone, Saskatchewan) logged one goal and one assist and seniors
Nick Pichette (Massena, N.Y.) and
Austin Sureowiec (Louisville, Ky.) both potted one goal. Junior
Braeden Ostepchuk (Lethbridge, Alberta) secured the win in net by collecting 36 saves in 48:23 before senior
Ty Reichenbach (Billings, Mont.) kept the Cardinals scoreless on seven shots in 11:37 of relief.
The game was tied, 1-1, after Plattsburgh State led 12-7 in first-period shots. Williams stole the puck on the Norwich defensive blue line and skated in on a breakaway at 12:30, but his snapshot clanged off the left post. The Cadets went up with 14:15 left as Pelletier fed an end board pass up to Salvucci, who shoveled a quick pass to Pichette and Pichette wristed a shot into the upper right corner for a power-play goal. Brandrup's slapshot hit the crossbar with 4:23 remaining before Plattsburgh State equalized at 18:17.
Norwich burst out for six second-period goals on 16 shots. Williams' goal at 1:08 sparked the Cadets, followed by Flaherty's back-to-back tallies just 3:17 apart and wrapped up by Salvucci, Surowiec and Pelletier, with Surowiec and Pelletier scoring 14 seconds apart to vault the visitors to a 7-1 lead. Salvucci collected his own rebound off of Davies' left toe and punched home the score inside the left post.
Plattsburgh State reeled closer throughout the third period as the hosts netted four consecutive goals to start the stanza. Kyle Hall started the frenzy at 1:37 before Nick Belger converted with the player advantage on a delayed penalty at 2:42. Gavin Yates then found the back of the twice in a 4:51 span, the latter coming on a breakaway where he tucked a low shot just passed Ostepchuk's right toe to trim the deficit to 7-5. The two-goal margin was as close as the score would get as Norwich deposited an empty-net marker from the left side off of William Pelletier's stick with 1:37 remaining.
Norwich travels to Middlebury on Tuesday, January 10th for its final non-conference game of the 2016-17 season. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Chip Kenyon '85 Arena.
