NORTHFIELD, Vt.- The Norwich University men's ice hockey team closed out the 25th Annual Northfield Savings Bank Holiday Tournament with a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Misericordia University on Friday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena. The consolation-game win marked the first-ever meeting between the Cadets and Cougars and was highlighted by a two-goal performance from Frank D'Ancona (Fort Myers, Fla.), who was later named to the All-Tournament Team.

The game was defined early by special teams and physical play, as penalties set the tone almost immediately. Just 2:41 into the opening period, the Cadets were sent to the penalty kill for the first of 16 combined penalties assessed in the contest. Norwich turned that moment into momentum, scoring its first short-handed goal of the season to take a 1–0 lead.

The goal began with a strong effort along the boards by Hayden Henrich (Richmond Hill, Ont.), who won a battle in the left corner and moved the puck up the wall to Zach Ophoven (Burlington, Ont.). Ophoven spotted D'Ancona streaking up ice and sent him in alone on a partial breakaway. D'Ancona finished calmly to break the ice and give the Cadets an early advantage.

Despite the parade to the penalty box throughout the period, Norwich maintained control of play at even strength. The Cadets consistently pressured Misericordia goaltender Ayden Pierce, forcing him to make several difficult saves. At the other end, Norwich netminder Bryce Walcarius (Aylmer, Ont.) went nearly nine minutes before facing his first shot of the afternoon, as the Cadets dominated possession and zone time. Pierce's strong play kept the Cougars within striking distance, and Norwich carried a 1–0 lead into the first intermission with a 14–4 advantage in shots.

Norwich wasted little time extending the lead in the second period. With a carryover power play to open the frame, the Cadets struck just 44 seconds in. Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, Ont.) controlled the puck at the center point and fed Boyd Stahlbaum (Peterborough, Ont.) at the top of the right circle. Stahlbaum's initial shot created a scramble at the top of the crease, where Colin Elliott (Peterborough, Ont.) battled for position. After two attempts were turned aside, Elliott buried the puck on his third try to make it 2–0.

Misericordia responded with urgency and gained momentum on a power play later in the period. The Cougars cut the deficit to one when Corbin Scheibel deflected a Patrick Toomey shot past Walcarius, bringing the score to 2–1.

The Cadets answered back midway through the period following another unsuccessful power play of their own. Niko Benjamin (Surprise, Ariz.) won a battle along the boards and drove the net, but Pierce denied him at close range. The rebound kicked out to D'Ancona, who showed patience before firing a shot past Pierce's blocker to restore Norwich's two-goal cushion.

Norwich continued to pour on the pressure for the remainder of the second period, repeatedly testing Pierce, who stood on his head to keep the Cougars alive. The Cadets outshot Misericordia 27–3 in the period, but Pierce's performance ensured the game remained 3–1 heading into the third.

The Cougars struck early in the final frame following a successful penalty kill. A turnover in the Norwich defensive zone landed on the stick of Ryan Karbach, who set up James Eng for a finish that pulled Misericordia within one.

From there, the game tightened considerably. Both teams traded power-play opportunities, but neither side could convert. Despite continued pressure from Norwich, Pierce remained sharp, turning away chance after chance to keep the Cougars within striking distance. Misericordia pulled Pierce for the extra attacker with 19 seconds remaining, but the Cougars were unable to set up a final push, allowing the Cadets to secure the one-goal victory.

Pierce finished the afternoon with 52 saves, while Walcarius earned the win in net for Norwich. D'Ancona's two-goal effort led the Cadets offensively, and his performance across both tournament games earned him All-Tournament recognition alongside Pierce.

"Those are tough games to play," said Head Coach Dominick Dawes '04. "I thought we had a great jump, controlled the play, and did a good job getting pucks to the net. But we could have also been more disciplined and managed the puck better."

The third-place contest between the Cadets and Cougars followed the title game, where Nazareth defeated Cortland 4-3 in overtime, with Golden Flyer netminder Paul Delessio earning Tournament MVP honors.

Norwich will have a quick turnaround, returning to action on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m., when the Cadets host regional rival Plattsburgh State at Kreitzberg Arena.