GENEVA, N.Y.- In the second semifinal contest of the day inside The Cooler, the Norwich Men's Ice Hockey team defeated Skidmore 3-2 in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Semifinal on the backs of a three-point effort by senior captain Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.) and 38 saves from Sami Molu (Toronto, On.).

Molu was put to the test early, and just under five minutes into the contest, the Thoroughbreds jumped ahead on a Scott Lagos goal. Skidmore kept the momentum going in a brief flurry after the goal, but the Cadets got going halfway through the frame starting with an unsuccessful man advantage. Both Molu and Thoroughbreds netminder Josh Seeley made saves as the period wound down keeping it a one-goal game.

After a carryover penalty for Skidmore, Norwich maintained possession and leveled the score. Devon Thibodeau (Pelham, On.) kept the play alive at the left point, sending the puck around the boards. It found Kerner who centered it to Dave Overbeeke (Wilton, Conn.) where he buried his own rebound for the side of the net to tie the game with his first collegiate goal. Later in the period, the Thoroughbreds would dominate possession, forcing Molu to make numerous saves before Danny Magnuson broke the deadlock with under five minutes to play.

As the middle frame wound down, a parade to the penalty box ensued leaving the Cadets with a four-on-three advantage where they knotted the contest. While cycling, Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, On.) found Bryan O'Mara (Syracuse, N.Y.) in the right circle before sending it cross-ice to a wide-open Kerner who beat Seeley high to his blocker side re-tying the game just before intermission.

Four minutes into the third period, the trio of Kerner, O'Mara, and Bertrand would connect on their second straight tally with the man advantage. Off a Kerner faceoff win, Bertrand sent the puck over to O'Mara at the top of the left circle and he beat Seeley five-hole to give the Cadets their first lead of the night. Molu made numerous saves down the stretch to preserve the victory while Norwich suppressed Skidmore with Seeley on the bench.

In the championship game, the Cadets will meet two-time defending champion Hobart at 3 PM on March 9 as they seek their first NEHC Championship since 2019-20. The Statesmen opened the semifinal twin bill with a 2-0 shutout of New England College.