Press Release

NORWICH PULLS AWAY LATE, BESTS PURPLE KNIGHTS, 8-0

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               FOR MORE INFORMATION
December 7, 2004                                                                               Contact: Seth Cole
                                                                                                         Phone: (802) 654-2537

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Freshman Raphael Robitaille (Cap-Rouse, Quebec) and seniors Kurtis McLean (Kirkland Lake, Ontario) and Vadim Beliaev (Riga, Latvia) tallied two goals apiece as third-ranked Norwich University pulled away for a 8-0 victory versus Saint Michael’s College in ECAC East men’s ice hockey action on Tuesday at Cairns Arena.

Robitaille added a pair of assists for the Cadets, while Beliaev and McLean picked up a helper apiece for three-point games. Freshmen Dan Krenn (Madison, Wisc.) and James Duhamel (Mississauga, Ontario) also scored, while senior Kevin Schieve (Rocky Mountain House, Alberta) turned back 24 shots for his first shutout of the season for Norwich (5-0-2, 4-0-1 ECAC East).

For the Purple Knights, sophomore Derek Jackson (Clinton, N.Y./Gunnery School) stopped 23 shots before leaving the game due to injury. Senior Andy Joy (Oak Park, Ill./Green Bay Gamblers) added 10 saves in the third period for Saint Michael’s (3-3-0, 2-3-0 ECAC East), which has lost three in a row following a 3-0 start. The Purple Knights fall to 0-20 all-time versus their in-state rivals.

McLean opened the scoring 4:09 into the contest, as he stuffed a shot off of the endboard past Jackson for his seventh goal of the season. The visitors maintained their one-goal lead until late in the evenly-play first period, when the Cadets capitalized on their first power play opportunity of the contest. Beliaev roofed a shot past a screened Jackson for his seventh goal of the year.

Norwich increased their lead to 3-0 3:11 into the second stanza, as Krenn knocked home a rebound off of a wrister from senior Brian Mullally (Maynard, Mass.), the second of his two assists on the evening. Jackson was hit hard on the play, and remained injured on the ice for several minutes before returning to action.

After both teams killed off a penalty midway through the period, the Cadets took a 4-0 lead 13:52 into the frame on Robitaille’s point-blank one-timer to Jackson’s right. Norwich tacked on another tally with 2:22 left in the stanza, as Robitaille notched his second goal of the game on a redirected shot.

The Cadets sealed the win with three goals in the final period. The line of McLean, Beliaev and junior Garett Winder (Ajax, Ontario) combined for the first two goals of the frame, as Winder completed a three-assist night. Duhamel finished the scoring with 2:59 remaining with his first career goal.

Norwich returns to action on Dec. 30 when it hosts Elmira College in the Times-Argus Invitational, while Saint Michael’s next plays at Northeast-10 Conference rival Stonehill College on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Purple Knights’ next home game is Jan. 7 versus Salem State College at 7 p.m.

GAME SUMMARY
Norwich             2          3          3          --8
Saint Michael’s              0          0          0          --0

First period: Scoring: 1. NOR, McLean (Winder), 4:09. 2. NOR, Beliaev (Robitaille, Mullaly) 17:21 (pp).Penalties: Sbrocchi, NOR (contact to the head-elbowing), 6:55; Robitaille, NOR (tripping), 14:14; N. Dancey, SMC (holding), 15:28.

Second period: Scoring: 3. NOR, Krenn (Mullally), 3:11. 4. NOR, Robitaille (Duhamel), 13:52. 5. NOR, Robitaille (Serba, Sbrocchi), 17:48. Penalties: Hayes, NOR (hitting after the whistle), 8:30; Rousseau, SMC (hitting after the whistle), 8:30; Beliaev, NOR (hooking), 10:01; Mullins, SMC (tripping), 10:52; Thurston, SMC (roughing), 20:00.

Third period: Scoring: 6. NOR, McLean (Winder, Beliaev), 5:15 (pp). 7. NOR, Beliaev (McLean, Winder), 8:48. 8. NOR, Duhamel (Robitaille, Thompson), 17:01. Penalties: Mullally, NOR (holding), :29; Mullally, NOR (unsportsmanlike conduct), :29; Deppmeyer, SMC (hooking), 5:02; Sbrocchi, NOR (contact to the head-roughing), 11:40;

Shots: NOR (9 – 19 – 13 - 41), SMC (7 – 10 – 7 – 24).

Saves: NOR, Schieve (24 shots, 24 saves); SMC, Jackson (28 shots, 23 saves), Joy at start of third (13 shots, 10 saves).

For complete box score, click here. 

###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002