PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Will Pray (Prague, Czechia) scored his third goal in as many games, but No. 7 Norwich University tallied four unanswered goals to rally past Plymouth State University, 7-3, in the Little East Conference (LEC) men's ice hockey opener at Hanaway Rink on Friday evening.
The annual
Salute the Troops game featured back-and-forth action through the first half of the second period. Norwich opened the scoring with a short-handed tally late in the first period, but the Panthers answered on the same power play to pull even just over a minute later. Freshman
William-Francisco Parent (Gatineau, Québec) then redirected a shot into the net in the closing minute to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead heading into intermission.
Norwich converted a power-play chance early in the second period, then took its first lead at the 7:59 mark. Pray answered with a power-play goal of his own to knot the score at 3-3 midway through the frame, but the Cadets converted another power-play opportunity to carry a 4-3 lead into the third period. Norwich pulled away with three goals in the final stanza, including two more power-play markers.
Prior to the contest, Plymouth State paid tribute to the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Mike Horne (Norwich Class of 1975) and retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Shawn O'Brien (Plymouth State Class of 1986) participated in a ceremonial puck drop, while several veterans' support agencies hosted informational tables in the lobby.
Plymouth State moves to 2-1-0 (0-1-0 LEC), while Norwich improves to 2-0-0 (1-0-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Norwich 7
- Plymouth State (2-1-0, 0-1-0 LEC)
- Norwich (2-0-0, 1-0-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Kim Hilmersson (Uppsala, Sweden) flew down the left side before cutting past a defender and going to the backhand in the game's opening minute, but the Norwich goaltender made a kick save.
- Senior goaltender Connor Strobel (Butler, Pa.) extended his left leg to seal the post and make a pair of saves as Norwich threatened midway through the first period.
- Norwich dumped the puck during a penalty kill later in the frame, and a PSU turnover led to a short-handed tally for the Cadets with 5:55 left in the first period.
- Plymouth State responded on the same power play as senior Byron Hartley (Philadelphia, Pa.) banged home a rebound just over a minute later.
- Parent redirected a shot from sophomore Tucker Shedd (Holt, Mich.) into the top-left corner in the final minute to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead heading into intermission.
- The Cadets pulled even with a power-play goal 1:41 into the second period.
- Plymouth State had a prime chance for a short-handed bid six minutes later, but a stick-check jarred the puck free. Just after the penalty expired, Norwich converted a loose puck in the slot to take a 3-2 lead.
- The Panthers answered with a power-play tally at the 9:48 mark when Pray whipped a wrist shot from the top of the left circle inside the right post to square the game at 3-3.
- Norwich regained the lead during a 5-on-3 power play with 7:14 left in the period and maintained the one-goal advantage heading into the third.
- The Cadets scored on a wrist shot from the point in the waning seconds of a power-play chance 3:20 into the final stanza, then extended their lead to 6-3 seven minutes later.
- Norwich capped the scoring in the final minute with another power-play tally.
By the Numbers:
- Pray has three goals and an assist over the first three games of the season.
- Parent's goal was the first of his career.
- Shedd recorded a multi-point game with two assists.
- Seniors Patrick O'Connell (West Chester, Pa.) and David Matousek (Karlovy Vary, Czechia) each picked up an assist and have at least one point in all three games.
- Freshman Étienne Tremblay-Mathieu (Québec City, Québec) posted an assist for the third straight game.
- Strobel finished with 29 saves.
- Norwich held a 36-22 advantage in shots.
- Five of the Cadets' goals came on special teams (four power-play, one short-handed).
- Norwich finished 4-for-8 on the power play, while Plymouth State was 2-for-3.
- Norwich improves to 8-0-1 against the Panthers.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts VTSU Castleton in another league matchup Saturday (Nov. 7) at 3 p.m.
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