NORTHFIELD, Vt.- The Norwich Women's Ice Hockey team rounded out the 2025 portion of their schedule Saturday afternoon when they played host to SUNY Cortland in the first-ever meeting between the two programs, where the Cadets rode an explosive effort by their special teams to an emphatic 5-1 victory.

Early on, the Red Dragons held the upper hand, forcing Madison Brunet (Timmins, Ont.) to come up with several saves before opening the scoring just under seven minutes in, with Ainsley Delacourt connecting with Fanny Aneborn.

The goal against awoke the Cadets, as they started pressing Cortland netminder Eline Gillodes. Gillodes made several saves before Norwich went to their first power play of the afternoon, where they cashed in with just over a minute left. Madison Anderson (Green Bay, Wis.) and Jordan Brady (Green Bay, Wis.) exchanged passes along the right side before Brady sent a shot on goal that Gillodes saved, but the puck trickled behind her, which Livia Brooks (Walpole, Mass.) tapped home to even the score. The deadlock remained at intermission with Norwich on another man advantage that carried over.

Seconds before the carryover portion of the power play expired, the Cadets took the lead. At the left point, Lauren Tuzik (Frankfort, Ill.) sent the puck to the faceoff circle for Anna Lisac (Euclid, Ohio), who handed it off to Brooks. Brooks cut to the middle and sent a shot over Gillodes's blocker off the crossbar for her second power play goal of the day.

After another subsequent man advantage, the Red Dragons got their first chance on the power play, but the Cadet penalty kill struck with a shorthanded marker. After picking up the loose puck off an errant pass in the neutral zone, Geena Cookinham (Gilmanton Iron Works, N.H.) gained the attacking zone at the left circle before sending a pass to Brady at the right point. Brady sent a wrist shot over Gillodes's blocker, making it a two-goal game.

Norwich continued to press before stretching their lead further five minutes later. Gillodes stopped the original chance by Alex Leslie (Irishtown, N.B.), soon after she got the puck back from Cookinham and sent it across the blueline to Ellin Rees (Cardiff, Wales, U.K.), who sent a wrist shot by Gillodes's glove, making it a three-goal game after forty minutes.

In the third period, the Cadets prevented the Red Dragons from getting anything set up in the attacking zone while bleeding the clock down. In the last two minutes, Brunet sent an outlet pass to Maggie Hunter (Royal Oak, Mich.), who sprang Breanna Ricker (Laconia, N.H.) on a rush and made it a 5-1 score with Brunet's first career point.

Norwich's special teams shone, with the power play going 2 for 4 and adding a shorthanded goal. Brooks, Brady, and Cookinham finished with two points apiece.

"We started slow, and it took us the first half of the first period to find our legs, but once we did, our forecheck was very effective," Head Coach Justin Simpson said. "It was nice to see us capitalize on our opportunities today after Friday's game, where we were a bit snake bitten. Our special teams play really came through with 2 PPGs and a short-handed goal too".

The Cadets enter the semester break with a sterling 8-2 record. They will look to carry that momentum into the second half when they open the East-West Classic against Oswego State on Jan. 5 at 3:00 p.m.