SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.- For their final weekend series of the regular season, and penultimate contest, the Norwich Men's Ice Hockey team journeyed to Saratoga Springs to faceoff with Skidmore Friday night as both sides jockeyed for position within the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) playoff picture. In the end, Skidmore would ride an explosive third period to victory.

Less than five minutes in, on their third shot of the contest, the Thoroughbreds grabbed the early lead as Ryan Waltman potted his own rebound. The goal gave Skidmore life and would hold the territorial advantage for a while before play came to an extended halt due to a plexiglass pane requiring repairs halfway through.

Sami Molu (Toronto, On.) continued his stellar play once action resumed, and eventually Norwich would even the score. Anthony Domina (Odenton, Md.) collected the puck in front of the benches before handing it to Zach Ophoven (Burlington, On.). Ophoven rushed into the attacking zone and passed it off to Colin Elliott (Peterborough, On.) who made a move on Skidmore goaltender Josh Seeley to even the score. Seeley would make several stops towards the end of the frame preserving the tie.

The middle frame opened with back-and-forth action as the two sides looked to break the deadlock. After an unsuccessful man advantage for the Cadets, the Thoroughbreds seized the territorial play. Molu came up with 12 saves in the period to keep the game tied at one after forty minutes, during which he would eclipse 1,000 saves on his career.

Five and a half minutes into the third, Skidmore broke the tie. After the Thoroughbreds took the puck away in the neutral zone and a failed attempt on a wrap-around, Oscar Worob would find the back of the net from the top of the left circle. Two minutes later, after the original shot was blocked, Danny Magnuson would collect the residual and convert on the powerplay making it a two-goal lead. Three minutes later, Waltman would score again, on another man advantage giving Skidmore a three-goal lead.

In the last five minutes of the period, the Cadet would answer closing the gap to two. Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, On.) kept the play alive at the point before setting up Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.). Kerner's original shot was stopped by Seeley, but Bryan O'Mara (Syracuse, N.Y.) cleaned up the loose change on the doorstep. Evan Brown sank an empty netter soon after, before Bertrand took a feed from Ophoven in front of the goal to make the final tally 5-3.

The Cadets and Thoroughbreds will conclude their regular season, in addition to their weekend series, Saturday Feb. 22 at 4 PM.