PINE VALLEY, N.Y. - The Norwich University men's ice hockey team dropped a tough 5-4 decision to No. 15-ranked Elmira College on Saturday afternoon at the Murray Athletic Center in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action.

Freshmen Patrick Delvecchio (Missassauga, Ontario) and Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.), as well as senior Brett Ouderkirk (Monkland, Ontario) each scored a goal and had an assist to lead the Norwich offense, but it wasn't quite enough to claim the first-ever NEHC meeting between Elmira and Norwich.

Norwich (6-3-4, 3-3-3 NEHC) scored two goals with an extra attacker on the ice to cut the Elmira lead down to one each time, but the Cadets were never able to get back to all square after falling behind 3-2 at the end of the second period.

Ouderkirk opened the scoring at the 16:18 mark of the first period with his seventh goal of the season off an assist from Delvecchio to give the Cadets a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Elmira scored three goals in the second period, while Norwich countered with just one to take a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.

Delvecchio scored a power play goal at the 10:13 mark of the second period to tie the game back up after Elmira opened the second period with back-to-back goals. Ouderkirk and Isaac Chapman (Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia) picked up assists on the goal. 

Elmira took a 4-2 lead at the 16:46 mark of the third period, but Kerner scored off an assist from Noah Williams (Cortland, N.Y.) at the 18:38 mark to bring the Cadets within one again. Elmira added an empty-net goal, but Devon Becker (Langley, British Columbia) scored with 17 seconds left to bring Norwich within one again.

Junior Andrew Albano (Hamilton, Ontario) made 19 saves in goal to fall to 4-2 on the season. 

Norwich will look to break its four-game winless streak next weekend at Johnson & Wales and UMass Boston.