The third-ranked Norwich University women's ice hockey team begins its postseason journey Saturday afternoon, renewing pleasantries with intrastate rival Vermont State Castleton in the Little East Conference (LEC) Semifinal inside Kreitzberg Arena.

The Cadets enter the tournament as the top seed after capturing their third straight regular-season conference crown — and the inaugural LEC regular-season title — finishing a perfect 18-0 in league play. Norwich carries a 20-game winning streak into postseason action and earned a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

Castleton, the fourth seed, advanced with a 4-2 quarterfinal victory over Keene State. The Spartans went 3-for-10 on the power play and held a 46-20 shot advantage, powered by a two-goal effort from Amanda Vaughn and multi-point nights from Mikayla Brightman, Morgan Arscott, and Ellie Schliebener. This Season's Meetings
Norwich swept the season series dominantly, shutting out the Spartans in all three contests.

The teams first met on Nov. 7 in the Cadets' home opener, where five different Norwich skaters scored in a 5-0 victory. Breanna Ricker (Laconia, N.H.) led the way with a two-point effort.

In January, the Cadets completed a weekend sweep at Spartan Arena. Livia Brooks (Walpole, Mass.) opened the scoring late in game one before Norwich erupted for four third-period goals in another 5-0 win. The following afternoon, Norwich built a 3-0 first-period lead and never looked back, finishing off a statement performance that included a 3-for-4 power play showing. Tale of the Tape

Stat Category	#3 Norwich	VTSU Castleton
Record	23-2-0 (18-0 LEC)	12-14-0 (8-11 LEC)
Goals/Game	4.9	2.4
Goals Against/Game	0.7	2.7
Power Play	30.6%	16.8%
Penalty Kill	91.7%	89.5%
Team Save %	.948	.905

Norwich ranks among Division III's elite in nearly every category, entering postseason play first nationally in shutouts and scoring defense, second in scoring margin, third in goals scored, fourth in power-play percentage, and seventh on the penalty kill. Norwich Leaders
The Cadets boast one of the most potent and balanced offenses in Division III.

Two-time AHCA All-American Livia Brooks leads the LEC in both goals and points, sitting at 98 career points. Brooks ranks 14th nationally in points per game (1.36) and 12th in goals per game (.72).



Right behind her is captain Olivia Boyer (Saint Paul, Minn.), who leads the LEC in assists and owns 97 career points. Boyer ranks 16th nationally in assists per game (.76).

Breanna Ricker sits third on the team in scoring, while first-years Geena Cookinham (Gilmanton, N.H.) and Maggie Hunter (Royal Oak, Mich.) have emerged as two of the top rookie scorers in Division III.
In goal, Madison Brunet (Timmins, Ont.) anchors the nation's top-scoring defense. Brunet ranks second nationally with a 0.84 goals-against average, 15th in save percentage (.943), and leads Division III with eight shutouts. Castleton to Watch
The Spartans feature the second-best scoring offense in the LEC, led by Moa Carlsson, who ranks eighth in points and sixth in goals. Taylor Adams and Brightman provide additional firepower, while Adams and Brooke Noble have each recorded hat tricks this season.

Gianna McCusker and Kara Boassaly have split time in the net for Castleton. McCusker started two of the three regular-season meetings against Norwich. What's at Stake
The winner advances to the LEC Championship on March 7 to face the victor of the UMass Boston/Southern Maine semifinal. Saturday's contest also serves as the opening half of an LEC Semifinal twin bill inside Kreitzberg Arena.