RUTLAND, Vt.- The Norwich men's ice hockey team captured the inaugural Little East Conference (LEC) regular-season championship on Friday night, earning a dramatic shootout victory over intrastate rival Vermont State Castleton in a goaltenders' duel at Spartan Arena.

With the win—coupled with Babson's loss to New England College earlier in the evening—the Cadets clinched the No. 1 seed in the LEC Tournament, securing a first-round bye and home-ice advantage in the semifinal round and potential championship game.

Friday's contest was defined by stellar performances in net from Norwich's Sami Molu (Toronto, Ont.) and Castleton's Josh Ward, who combined for 93 saves in regulation and overtime.

Castleton struck first, cashing in on an early power play. Just two-and-a-half minutes into the contest, Emmett McHardy converted on the Spartans' first shot of the game to give the hosts a 1–0 lead. Norwich went to the penalty kill again later in the frame as the teams combined for five penalties in a physical, tightly contested opening period. Molu was sharp throughout, turning aside several quality chances to keep the Cadets within one at the first intermission.

Norwich began to tilt the ice in the second period, especially at even strength. The Cadets generated sustained pressure and peppered Ward with shots from all angles. Molu anchored another key penalty kill late in the frame, making several big stops to prevent Castleton from extending its lead. Despite Norwich's territorial advantage and a growing shot differential, Ward remained steady, and the Spartans carried a 1–0 lead into the second intermission. Norwich held a 21–10 edge in shots in the middle frame.

Momentum swung further in the Cadets' favor early in the third period following another successful penalty kill. Eight minutes into the frame, Norwich finally broke through.
Nick Foster (Amherst, Mass.) knocked down a Spartan clearing attempt in the neutral zone and slid the puck to Samuel Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden). Larsson moved it to Niko Benjamin (Surprise, Ariz.) at the blue line along the boards, who handed it off to Frank D'Ancona (Fort Myers, Fla.) in stride. With speed and space, D'Ancona circled behind the net and executed a wrap-around finish to tie the game at 1–1.

Norwich pressed for the go-ahead goal, including a power-play opportunity that generated multiple chances, but Ward continued to turn aside everything thrown his way. Castleton pushed back late in regulation, but Molu matched Ward save for save, sending the contest to overtime.

The extra session featured chances at both ends. Norwich controlled possession early, while Castleton created the more dangerous looks in transition. Ward preserved the deadlock with several key stops before Molu answered with two clutch saves of his own to force a shootout.

In the shootout, Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, Ont.) provided the lone goal, beating Ward to give the Cadets the decisive edge. Molu was perfect in the tiebreaker, sealing the victory and the regular-season title for Norwich.

Ward finished the night with an outstanding 57 saves, while Molu turned aside 36 shots in regulation and overtime before blanking the Spartans in the shootout.

"This group has proved its resiliency all year, and they earned a regular-season championship tonight," said Head Coach Dominick Dawes '04. "We could have been more disciplined in the first period, but our maturity showed in how we responded in the second and third. A new season starts Monday, and we are looking forward to a great environment in Kreitzberg on Saturday night."

With the win and the conference title secured, Norwich claims the No. 1 seed in the LEC Tournament and earns a bye in Wednesday's quarterfinal round. The Cadets will host a semifinal matchup on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7:00 p.m. at Kreitzberg Arena against the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 quarterfinal scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25.