NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University men's ice hockey team finally gets the 2020-21 season underway on Saturday, Feb. 27 when it hosts Skidmore College at Kreitzberg Arena at 5 p.m. in the first leg of a home two-game series with the Thoroughbreds. The Cadets will close out the series vs. Skidmore on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. in Kreitzberg Arena.
Norwich will return to the ice for an intercollegiate game for the first time in 356 days on Saturday. The last time the Cadets played in a game, they won their second straight and 14th overall New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) title with a 3-0 win over Hobart at Kreitzberg Arena.
Skidmore (0-0) has yet to play as well in 2020-21 after its first two series of the year vs. Albertus Magnus (Feb. 12/13) and Castleton (Feb. 19/20) were postponed.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the 34th all-time meeting between Norwich and Skidmore in men's hockey. The Cadets hold a commanding 28-2-3 lead in the all-time series with the Thoroughbreds. Ironically, Skidmore was the last team to score a goal against Norwich, way back on Jan. 24, 2020 in a 3-2 win for the Cadets at Kreitzberg Arena. NU rattled off nine straight shutouts to close the season after that.
Norwich swept the season series last year after the Cadets beat Skidmore 2-0 earlier in the season in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Skidmore's last win vs. Norwich came on Nov. 18, 2016, with a 3-2 overtime win in Saratoga Springs, which was the Cadets' lone loss during its run to the 2017 NCAA Division III National Championship.
SCOUTING THE THOROUGHBREDS
Skidmore returns a pair of junior defensemen that led the team in points during the 2019-20 season in Austin Rook and Reid Russell. Rook had six goals and 15 assists for 21 points, while Russell had six goals and 11 assists for 17 points to lead Skidmore's offense one year ago.
Rook earned NEHC Second Team honors for the second year in a row and was also a NEHC All-Rookie team selection in 2018-19.
Junior forward Avery Steele (5-18-13) and senior forward Matt Muzyka (7-5-12) also return for Skidmore.
In goal, senior goalie Brian Kowalski is the lone returner who saw action last season. He played in two games with a 1-1 record and a 4.04 goals against average and a .901 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE CADETS
Norwich is coming off one of the most impressive seasons in the program's 100-plus year history. The Cadets finished with a 24-2-2 record prior to the NCAA Tournament being canceled and finished as the No. 1-ranked team in the country in the USCHO.com National Poll.
The Cadets set nine new NCAA Division III records during the course of the season, including the record for least goals against in a season, giving up just 24 goals in 28 games played.
Norwich boasts two returning American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-Americans in senior forward Felix Brassard (St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) and junior defensemen Gabriel Chicoine (St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec).
Brassard led the Cadets with 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points, while Chicoine had five goals and 26 assists for 31 points as well.
Sophomore Braedyn Aubin (Woodstock, Ontario) and junior Maxime Borduas (St. Cesaire, Quebec) round out the top returning scorers with 13 and 12 points respectively last season.
In goal, sophomore Andrew Albano (Hamilton, Ontario) made the lone start of the season that wasn't by two-time All-American Tom Aubrun.
Norwich returns 18 players from last year's squad and welcomes nine newcomers to the fold, including three transfers from other collegiate institutions.
LIVE COVERAGE
While no spectators will be allowed inside Kreitzberg Arena this season, all home games will be streamed at www.norwichathletics.com/livestream with legendary 11-time Vermont Sportscaster of the Year George Commo on the call. There will be no radio coverage for this season only on WDEV Radio, making the Norwich Broadcast Network the sole source to tune in to live coverage of all home games.
UP NEXT
Norwich travels to Castleton next Friday for a 5 p.m. faceoff at Spartan Arena. The Cadets then host the Spartans on March 6 at 4 p.m. in Kreitzberg Arena.
