NORTHFIELD, Vt. - It took one period for the second-ranked Norwich University women's ice hockey team to fully break open its home opener Friday evening.
Once the Cadets found their rhythm, the goals came in waves.
Norwich erupted for six goals during the second period and added three more in the third, overwhelming Keene State College, 10-0, in the Little East Conference (LEC) opener for both programs at Kreitzberg Arena.
The Cadets controlled possession throughout the evening, finishing with a 66-4 advantage in shots on goal while receiving goals from seven different skaters. Three freshmen, Jayden Russo (Northfield, Vt.), Kaitlyn Dill (Elmhurst, Ill.), and Anabel Seyrer (Landsberg, Germany), each celebrated the first goal of their collegiate careers.
The victory improved Norwich to 4-0 all-time against Keene State, with the Cadets now outscoring the Owls, 30-1, across the first four meetings between the programs.
Norwich generated pressure almost immediately Friday, directing 26 shots on goal during the opening 20 minutes, but the Cadets had just one goal to show for it.
Junior Anna Lisac (Euclid, Ohio) finally broke through on Norwich's first power-play opportunity. With Keene State whistled for slashing at the 10-minute mark, the Cadets went to work before Lisac finished the sequence at 11:17 off assists from sophomore Maggie Hunter (Royal Oak, Mich.) and Seyrer.
Norwich continued peppering the Keene State net throughout the remainder of the period but carried only the 1-0 advantage into the first intermission.
That changed quickly after the break.  Lisac doubled the margin just 1:51 into the second, striking unassisted for her second goal of the night.
Another Keene State penalty soon put Norwich back on the power play, and the Cadets converted again. Hunter found the back of the net at 5:07 off assists from Lisac and Seyrer, making it 3-0 and giving Norwich goals on two of its first three opportunities with the extra skater.
After the Owls briefly slowed the surge, Norwich unleashed four goals over the final 5:35 of the period. Dill started the stretch at 14:25, finishing a setup from sophomore Geena Cookinham (Gilmanton, N.H.) for her first collegiate tally.
Junior Libby Lane (Northville, Mich.) followed only 1:35 later, scoring unassisted to stretch the advantage to 5-0. Senior Livia Brooks (Walpole, Mass.) joined the scoring at 17:02, taking a feed from Lisac and burying Norwich's fifth goal of the period.
Russo then put an exclamation point on the frame with just 9.8 seconds remaining, scoring off Hunter's setup for her first collegiate goal and sending the Cadets to the second intermission with a commanding 7-0 advantage.
Norwich finished the middle period with six goals on 20 shots. The offensive pressure never disappeared in the third.
Brooks collected her second goal of the evening at 11:01, finishing another Lisac setup with Russo also picking up an assist.
Just 2:26 later, Russo struck for the second time, converting passes from Hunter and Cookinham to push the margin to 9-0.
The freshman scoring theme continued all the way to the closing minute. With 40.3 seconds remaining, Seyrer found the back of the net for the first time as a Cadet, finishing a setup from senior Dani Ammons (Centennial, Colo.) to bring Norwich into double figures and establish the final 10-0 margin.
Lisac spearheaded the balanced Norwich attack with five points, recording two goals and three assists. Hunter followed with a goal and three helpers, while Brooks registered two goals. Russo scored twice and added an assist for a three-point night, while Seyrer finished with a goal and two assists. Cookinham supplied two helpers.
The Cadets also dominated possession at the faceoff dot, winning 42 of 52 draws.  Lisac finished 15-for-17 on faceoffs, freshman Greyce Kennedy (Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia) won nine of 10, freshman Vanessa Sciampacone (Nepean, Ontario) went 8-for-10, and sophomore Natalie Heutmaker (Eagan, Minn.) won eight of her 13 opportunities.
Senior Payton Sutherland (Brighton, Colo.) handled all 60 minutes between the pipes, turning aside all four shots she faced to earn her second consecutive shutout to begin the season.
Keene State did not register a shot on goal during the opening period before generating two apiece in the second and third. Norwich, meanwhile, finished with 26 shots in the first, 20 in the second, and 20 more in the third.
The Cadets' special teams continued their strong start as well, finishing 2-for-3 on the power play and killing off Keene State's lone opportunity.
"It was great to play our home opener in front of such an outstanding crowd," Head Coach Justin Simpson said. "We had a slow start, but we were able to feed off of the crowd's energy. Once we found our legs, we settled in and started playing our game.
"Credit to Keene for pushing us and competing hard throughout. It was exciting to see Jayden, Kaitlyn and Anabel score their first collegiate goals. Our special teams were a bright spot again, going 2-for-3 on the power play and perfect on the penalty kill."
Norwich will remain at Kreitzberg Arena on Saturday, Nov. 7, welcoming Western Connecticut State University for a 3:00 p.m. Little East matchup. The contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
The Cadets will then return to the road for a pair of conference games next weekend, visiting Plymouth State University on Friday, Nov. 13, before traveling to New England College on Saturday, Nov. 14.
