Box Score GORHAM, Maine – The Norwich University men's hockey defeated Southern Maine 5-1 on Saturday afternoon to pick up a crucial three points in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action.
Brendon Jones (Pembroke, Minn.), Brett Ouderkirk (Monkland, Ontario), Patrick O'Neal (Indiana, Pa.), Joe Nagle (Weymouth, Mass.) and Bryan O'Mara (Syracuse, N.Y.) all scored goals to lead the Norwich offense.
Senior goalie Drennen Atherton (Winter Haven, Fla.) stopped 28 shots to earn the victory in goal.
Norwich (12-4-4, 9-4-3 NEHC) scored just 21 seconds into the game with Ouderkirk picking up where he left off after scoring the overtime winner vs. Babson on Friday night. Ouderkirk tallied his 12th goal of the season to tie Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.) for the team lead.
Southern Maine answered with 35 seconds left in the opening period to tie the game up a 1-1.
Norwich scored four unanswered goals from there though to cruise to the win and the season sweep of the Huskies. The Cadets scored three times in the second period with Nagle tallying from Alex Monteleone (Montreal, Quebec) and O'Neal cashing in on the power play off an assist from Devon Becker (Langley, British Columbia).
O'Mara scored from Kerner at the 18:28 mark of the second period to push the lead to 4-1.
Jones capped the scoring with an empty-net goal off assists from Patrick Delvecchio (Missassauga, Ontario) and Alex Lewis (Moncton, New Brunswick).
Norwich now has 29 points and sits tied for fourth in the league standings with Babson. Elmira and UMass Boston are tied with 30 points each, but Elmira has played one less game. Hobart tops the standings with 33 points and has played one less game than every team but Elmira.
The Cadets return home to Kreitzberg Arena to face one of the biggest regular season pair of home games in recent history. Norwich will welcome the first and second place teams in the league standings, as well as two top-10 ranked teams and teams that both beat the Cadets last time out.
Norwich will take on Elmira at 7 p.m. on Friday and then host Hobart at 4 p.m. on Saturday as part of Senior Day. The Cadets will need points to try and stave off potentially having to go on the road for a NEHC Quarterfinal to open the 2022 conference tournament the following weekend.
