Box Score BABSON PARK, Mass. – Senior forward Brett Ouderkirk (Monkland, Ontario) scored 1:29 into overtime to lift the Norwich University men's ice hockey team to a huge 3-2 upset win over No. 7-ranked Babson College on Friday night in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action.
Ouderkirk rifled a wrist shot from the top of the slot through traffic to score his 11th goal of the season on a 4-on-3 power play to secure a crucial extra point for Norwich in the razor tight NEHC standings
Norwich (11-4-4, 8-4-3) avenged a 6-4 loss to Babson earlier this season that marked the Cadets' first loss of the season. Friday night's overtime thriller marked the eighth time that Norwich played an overtime session this season in just 19 games.
Logan vande Meerakker (Dieppe, New Brunswick) and Keegan Mantaro (Monument, Colo.) picked up the assists on Ouderkirk's goal.
Graduate student Scott Swanson (Wheaton, Ill.) and freshman Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.) each scored goals as well for the Cadets. Friday night's game marked the 100th of Swanson's collegiate career.
Babson (13-5-2, 8-5-2) struck first blood midway through the first period, but Norwich battled back with a dominant second period to score two goals and take the 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Swanson scored off an assist from Philip Elgstam (Stockholm, Sweden) at the 3:38 mark of the second period on the power play.
Norwich scored a controversial goal at the 10:12 mark of the second period with Kerner scoring off an assist from Callum Jones (Burlington, Ontario). The puck originally was not ruled to be in the net and play didn't stop. However, at the next whistle, the referees conferred and awarded a goal to the Cadets to the dismay of the home crowd.
The Cadets outshot Babson 33-23 in the game, including a 17-5 edge in the second period. Senior goalie Drennen Atherton (Winter Haven, Fla.) made 21 saves to pick up the victory.
Norwich will travel to Southern Maine on Saturday for a 4 p.m. matchup with the Huskies.
The Cadets currently sit fifth in the NEHC standings, one point behind Babson, UMass Boston and Elmira, who are all tied with 27 points in second place. Skidmore is sixth with 25 points.
