Box Score MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Norwich University men's ice hockey team put together one of its most impressive performances of the season, shutting out Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) 7-0 on Friday night in the opening game of the 2021 First Light Great Northern ShootOut at Middlebury's Chip Kenyon '85 Arena.
The No. 6-ranked Cadets (4-0-3, 2-0-3 NEHC) scored their second-most goals in a game on the season and picked up their first shutout of the season to cruise to the win over MSOE.
Senior Brett Ouderkirk (Monkland, Ontario) and junior Braedyn Aubin (Woodstock, Ontario) each scored twice and had two assists for four-point games to lead the Cadets' offense.
Junior goalie Andrew Albano (Hamilton, Ontario) stopped all 30 shots he faced to pick up his first collegiate shutout and improve to 3-0-0 on the season. Norwich will look to win its record 11th FirstLight ShootOut title when it faces Plattsburgh State on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 4:30 p.m. at Kenyon Arena.
Norwich took a 1-0 lead in the first period with Aubin scoring on a wrist shot off a 3-on-2 rush from the top of the left faceoff circle at the 5:24 mark of the first period. John Banovetz (Eagle River, Alaska) carried the puck into the zone and then slid a pass over to Ouderkirk, who then flipped it over on his back hand to Aubin to set up the shot. Aubin beat MSOE goalie Darius Bell with a low shot and used a Raider defender as a screen for his third goal of the season.
The Cadets extended the lead to 2-0 with Aubin scoring again, this time on the power play, one-timing a shot from the middle of the left faceoff circle past Bell for his second goal of the game and fourth of the season at the 2:21 mark of the second period. Ouderkirk picked up the primary assist again after finding Aubin to his left from the middle of the slot. Scott Swanson (Wheaton, Ill.) tallied the second assist after throwing a centering pass from behind the net to Ouderkirk.
Norwich made it 3-0 at the 5:31 mark with Patrick Delvecchio (Missassauga, Ontario) deflecting a MSOE breakout attempt that slowed the puck down enough for Ouderkirk to swoop in and gain possession at the MSOE blue line. He skated in uninterrupted and fired a wrist shot into the left corner of the net for the goal.
Ouderkirk snapped a wrist shot from the top of the slot for another power play goal and his fourth point of the night to make it 4-0 Norwich early in the third period. Cale List (Petawawa, Ontario) picked up the primary assist. Aubin recorded the secondary assist to continue his best offensive night of the season.
Sophomore Brent Rickett (Portland, Maine) made it 5-0 at the 14:37 mark of the third period with his first goal of the season, snapping a wrist shot past Bell from the top of the slot.
Junior Philip Elgstam (Stockholm, Sweden) made it 6-0 just 24 seconds later, rifling a wrist shot past Bell after a failed clearing attempt by MSOE resulted in Elgstam getting the puck at the top of the right faceoff circle.
List capped the scoring with 1:33 left in the game, firing a low wrist shot from the point that deflected off a MSOE defender's skate and into the back of the net to make it 7-0 Norwich. Aubin picked up the assist on the goal.
Norwich extended its unbeaten streak to seven straight games to start the season. MSOE dropped to 2-3-2. The Cadets improved to 2-0-0 all-time vs. MSOE. NU also beat the Raiders 5-0 during the 2014-15 season at Kreitzberg Arena.
