ICE HOCKEY
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Women's Ice Hockey: Norwich Edges MIT, 4-3, To Advance To ECAC East Semifinals
NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Sophie Leclerc scored a pair of goals to lead the Norwich University women's ice hockey team past MIT, 4-3, in an ECAC East Tournament quarterfinal contest Saturday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena.
With the victory, Norwich (17-8-1) moves into the ECAC East semifinals for the first time in program history. The second-seeded Cadets will continue their quest for the program's first conference title next weekend (March 7-8) when they travel to Purchase, N.Y., for the ECAC East Final Four. Top-seeded Manhattanville, who defeated No. 8-seed Castleton today, will host the event and play fifth-seeded Salve Regina in one semifinal. The other semifinal will pit Norwich against third-seeded Southern Maine. The Cadets swept the Huskies during the two-game regular season series.
Norwich got on the scoreboard late in the first period when Leclerc scored a power play goal at the 13:40 mark. The goal was assisted by Julie Fortier and Danielle Del Dotto. The play started when Fortier slid a pass to Del Dotto in the slot. Del Dotto's shot was saved by MIT goaltender Rachel Bowens-Rubin, but the rebound caromed right to Leclerc, who slipped it into the net.
The Cadets outshot the Engineers 17-2 in the opening stanza, but they could not add to their lead and settled for a 1-0 edge after 20 minutes.
Norwich opened it up in the second period, scoring three more goals. Melissa Rundlett started the offensive explosion, scoring her 11th marker of the season off a feed from Fortier at the 5:40 mark. Kelsey Cone made it 3-0 in favor of the Cadets when she scored on the power play at the 10:48 mark. The goal, Cone's 14th of the year, came off a feed from Amanda Wilks.
MIT (6-15-1) answered Cone's goal just 33 seconds later when Lauren Kazmierski netted her fifth goal of the season at the 11:21 mark. The goal, which made the score 3-1, was assisted by Stephanie Leger and Connie Lu.
Norwich capped the second period scoring late in the frame when Leclerc scored her second of the game, and team-leading 17th of the season, off assists from Fortier and Cone at the 17:14 mark.
Norwich held a 21-3 edge in shots in the second period, and the Cadets carried a commanding 4-1 lead into the final stanza.
MIT made it interesting late in the third period, scoring a pair of goals in the final 4:27 to pull to within 4-3. The Engineers made it 4-2 at the 15:33 mark when Kameron Klauber found Clarion Hess for her eighth goal of the year. Klauber trimmed the Norwich lead to 4-3 less than four minutes later when she tallied her team-leading 23rd marker of the season off assists from Hess and Rebecca Milson at the 18:52 mark.
After a timeout, the Engineers pulled their Bowens-Rubin for the final minute. They were unable to score the equalizer, though, and Norwich held on for the victory.
Bowens-Rubin finished the game with 50 saves for MIT. Cindy Fortin stopped four saves for Norwich. Chiara Traversa played the entire third period and stopped five shots.
Norwich held a 54-12 edge in shots for the game. The Cadets were 3-for-6 on the power play, while the Engineers went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
