NORTHFIELD, Vt.- The Norwich Women's Ice Hockey team opened its final home weekend of the regular season dominantly Friday night, blanking Plymouth State 4–0 at Kreitzberg Arena in the penultimate game of the regular season.
Behind balanced scoring and another elite special teams performance, Norwich earned its Division III-leading 12th shutout of the year and
Madison Brunet's (Timmins, Ont.) seventh individual clean sheet of the season.
The opening period was tightly contested, as Plymouth State did well to suppress Norwich's early chances. The Panthers blocked several shot attempts and kept the Cadets largely to the perimeter, preventing clean looks in the slot. Goaltender Jorja Moore faced her first significant test seven minutes into the contest and held steady, while Brunet was called upon at the other end during a Plymouth State power play. Norwich's penalty kill turned aside the opportunity, and both goaltenders stood firm as the teams headed to the first intermission scoreless.
The breakthrough came quickly in the second period.
Just 1:16 into the frame,
Natalie Heutmaker (Eagan, Minn.) poked the puck loose in the defensive zone to spark the play.
Lauren Tuzik (Frankfort, Ill.) carried it into the attacking end on the rush. While her initial attempt was blocked, the puck ricocheted into the crease where
Anna Lisac (Euclid, Ohio) was waiting to tap home the game's opening goal.
Norwich fed off the momentum and pushed for more. Tuzik continued to be active along the left boards, pinching to keep the puck alive.
Marja Linzbichler (Graz, Austria) collected it and slid a pass to
Madalyn Liles (Arlington, Texas), who spotted
Geena Cookinham (Gilmanton, N.H.) alone on the weak side. Liles sent a cross-ice feed, and Cookinham one-timed it past Moore to double the lead.
Plymouth State attempted to respond with back-to-back power plays, including a five-on-three opportunity, but the Cadets' penalty kill was airtight. Norwich allowed Brunet to see just two shots during the extended disadvantage, suffocating passing lanes and clearing rebounds with authority.
The Cadets regained full momentum late in the period with a power play of their own. Though they were unable to convert on the man advantage, the pressure carried over. Just seconds after returning to even strength—with 20 seconds remaining in the period—Norwich struck again.
Dani Ammons (Centennial, Colo.) recovered the puck at the left point and moved it to Linzbichler, who worked it down to the bottom of the right circle for
Libby Lane (Northville, Mich.). Lane quickly one-touched a pass into the slot where Liles buried the opportunity, sending the Cadets into the second intermission with a commanding 3–0 advantage.
Norwich added the final tally midway through the third period.
Maggie Hunter (Royal Oak, Mich.) sent the puck along the blue line to
Alex Leslie (Irishtown, N.B.), whose initial shot was blocked in traffic.
Livia Brooks (Walpole, Mass.) tracked down the loose puck, circled the offensive zone to create space, and snapped it home to extend the lead to 4–0.
The Panthers were awarded two more power plays in the closing minutes. Still, once again, Norwich's penalty kill rose to the occasion, shutting down any comeback attempt and preserving the shutout.
Brunet was sharp throughout, turning aside every shot she faced to record her seventh shutout of the season. As a team, the Cadets now boast 12 shutouts—leading all of Division III—and continue to showcase one of the nation's most disciplined defensive units. Offensively, Liles and Linzbichler led the way with two points each.
"Our penalty came up big this evening, along with Madi in net," said Head Coach
Justin Simpson. "While Madi didn't face consistent action, she had to make some big saves at critical times. Plymouth competes so hard that they did a good job limiting our time and space with their aggressiveness. It felt like a playoff-type game. Offensively, I think we shared the puck extremely well, making one extra pass to open up our offense."
The Cadets and Panthers will meet again Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m. at Kreitzberg Arena for the regular season finale. Before puck drop, Norwich will honor the five members of its 2025–26 graduating class as part of Senior Day festivities.
