RUTLAND, Vt.- The Norwich Women's Ice Hockey team completed their weekend sweep of intrastate rival Vermont State Castleton Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 shutout. During the weekend sweep, the Cadets did not concede a goal and got contributions from all parts of the lineup.

Off the opening puck drop, Norwich kept the Spartans pinned in their defensive end, forcing Victoria Bakopanos to make numerous stops to keep the game close. The slew of offensive opportunities would finally yield results as Norwich jumped ahead with just over six minutes remaining. The Cadets kept the play alive after Castleton defenders failed to clear the puck. From the left point, Olivia Boyer (Saint Paul, Minn.) sent the puck through traffic to the net front where it was corralled by Rylie McIntyre (Brunswick, Maine) who sent it back to center point for the carry by Sophie Zemianek (St. Albans, Vt.). Zemianek sent a wrist shot from the point through traffic to touch the twine, giving Norwich the lead with her first collegiate goal. Bakopanos made several stops on a late Cadet power play to keep the Spartan deficit at one with Norwich holding a 12-2 shot edge.

After Castleton finished the penalty kill that carried into the second stanza, the Cadets kept buzzing around but could not find an answer for Bakopanos. At several points of the period, the Spartans got momentum going on the offensive side towards Leocadia Clark (Stowe, Vt.), but each time it was cut off due to stick infractions. Neither man advantage yielded results for Norwich leaving the score the same, despite an 18-8 shot margin in the period in favor of the maroon and gold, 30-10 for the game.

Bakopanos kept making saves in the third keeping the Spartans within one, but Castleton would take another penalty halfway through the period, and it would cost them. After exchanging passes with Jordan Brady (Green Bay, Wis.), Jenna Nikles (Riley, Mich.) threw a shot towards the net which deflected off a Spartan defender and, in the net, pushing the lead to two. At the end, Norwich took back-to-back penalties which were both killed off to preserve the 2-0 shutout, the 22^nd of Clark's career.

The Cadets' road trip through the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) continues next weekend when they will have their first ever meeting with Albertus Magnus Friday afternoon at 1 PM in New Haven.