The second-ranked Norwich University women's ice hockey team will look to capture its 12th conference championship — and the first-ever Little East Conference tournament title — when it hosts second-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston in the LEC Championship game Saturday inside Kreitzberg Arena.
The regular-season champion Cadets enter the title game with a 24-2-0 overall record after finishing a perfect 18-0 in conference play. Norwich seeks its first conference tournament crown since 2023 as the program continues its pursuit of another postseason run.
Saturday's contest will open a championship doubleheader at Kreitzberg Arena.
Playoff Runs
As the top two seeds in the tournament, both Norwich and UMass Boston received first-round byes.
Norwich advanced with a 4-2 semifinal victory over intrastate rival Vermont State Castleton. After a scoreless first period, the Cadets erupted for four second-period goals from four different scorers. The Spartans closed the gap with two third-period tallies, but Norwich held on for the win.
Breanna Ricker (Laconia, N.H.) led the way with a goal and an assist while
Sophia Nelson (Castle Pines, Colo.) netted her first career game-winning goal.
UMass Boston reached the championship game with a 2-1 semifinal win over Southern Maine. The teams skated through a scoreless first period before the Huskies opened the scoring early in the second on the power play. The Beacons answered late in regulation when Grace Lynch scored the tying goal and then added the game-winner with just over a minute remaining, accounting for both of UMass Boston's power-play tallies in the contest.
Season Meetings
Norwich swept the three-game season series between the teams.
The Cadets first traveled to Boston on Nov. 22, where
Geena Cookinham (Gilmanton, N.H.) opened the scoring midway through the second period before
Livia Brooks (Walpole, Mass.) and
Anna Lisac (Euclid, Ohio) added third-period goals to secure a 3-0 victory. Brooks recorded a goal and an assist, while
Lauren Tuzik (Frankfort, Ill.) added two helpers.
The teams met again in Northfield on Feb. 13. After the game was tied at one following the opening period, Norwich broke things open with five straight goals in a 5-1 win.
Maggie Hunter (Royal Oak, Mich.) paced the attack with two goals and an assist from the blue line, while Cookinham,
Marja Linzbichler (Graz, Austria), and
Alex Leslie (Irishtown, N.B.) each recorded two points.
One day later, the Cadets completed the weekend sweep with a 4-0 shutout. Hunter opened the scoring before
Madalyn Liles (Arlington, Texas) added another late in the first period.
Jordan Brady (Green Bay, Wis.) and Brooks scored in the second as Norwich held the Beacons scoreless at even strength.
Tale of the Tape
| Stat Category |
#2 Norwich |
UMass Boston |
| Record |
24-2-0 (18-0 LEC) |
16-8-2 (11-6-1 LEC) |
| Goals/Game |
4.8 |
2.0 |
| Goals Against/Game |
0.8 |
1.8 |
| Power Play |
30.1% |
13.9% |
| Penalty Kill |
90.7% |
90.7% |
| Team Save % |
.944 |
.924 |
Norwich Leaders
The Cadets feature one of Division III's most balanced and dangerous offensive attacks.
Two-time AHCA All-American
Livia Brooks leads the LEC in both goals and points and sits at 99 career points. Brooks ranks 14th nationally in points per game (1.35) and 12th in goals per game (.73).
Captain
Olivia Boyer (Saint Paul, Minn.) is among the conference leaders in assists and owns 98 career points, ranking 18th nationally in assists per game (.73).
Breanna Ricker sits third on the team in scoring, while first-years
Geena Cookinham and
Maggie Hunter have emerged as two of the top rookie scorers in Division III. Hunter is tied with Boyer for the LEC lead in assists.
In net,
Madison Brunet (Timmins, Ont.) anchors the nation's top-scoring defense. Brunet ranks third nationally with a 0.91 goals-against average and leads Division III with eight shutouts.
UMass Boston Leaders
The Beacons are led offensively by Maggie Lynch, who paces the team with 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists). Four players sit tied for second with 11 points, including Grace Lynch, who has recorded her 11 points in just 15 games.
UMass Boston also features the second-best scoring defense in the LEC.
Leah Bosch has carried the bulk of the workload in goal with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Veronika Hadamovsky started two of the three regular-season matchups against Norwich and owns a 1.88 GAA with a .919 save percentage.
What's at Stake
The inaugural Little East Conference tournament championship will be decided Saturday afternoon in Northfield.
With a perfect conference season, national ranking, and home ice advantage, the Cadets now look to add another chapter to their championship history — and capture the first-ever LEC tournament crown.
