Statistics

NORTHFIELD, Vt. -- Billy Girard IV matched a season-best with 36 saves and Dominic Murphy made his first collegiate goal the game-winner with 5:14 remaining as the No.13 University of New England men's ice hockey team knocked off No.11 Norwich University, 2-1, in the championship of the 23rd Northfield Savings Bank Tournament on Sunday night (Dec. 31) at Kreitzberg Arena.

Unbeaten over the last eight outings, the Nor'easters improve to 8-2-2 on the campaign. The setback was the first of 2023-24 on home ice for the Cadets, who drop to 7-4-1 overall. While Norwich controlled the all-time series when the teams shared league membership, UNE has captured three of the last five meetings -- all on the road.

The Nor'easters are now 2-for-2 at the NSBT event, having previously claimed the title in 2017-18 with a victory over the host squad (1-0). Norwich last won its annual holiday tournament in 2016-17.

Girard, who registered 21 of his stops in the 1st period to keep things knotted at 1-1, received Most Valuable Player honors. With three points apiece on the weekend, Murphy and Logan DiScanio landed spots on the All-Tournament Team; DiScanio had both of Saturday's goals in the win over Wesleyan University, with the help of Murphy.

Shots on goal were 22-6 in favor of the Cadets during the opening 20 minutes, though the Nor'easters were first on the board at the 11:21 mark with a tally from Ryan Kuzmich. Coming out of the defensive zone, Anthony Sciucco fed it to a streaking Juraj Elias up the left wing, and Elias delivered a centering pass for Kuzmich to tap in as he crashed the right post.

Norwich had a power play late in the frame and used just 25 seconds of it to pull even. In a sequence of chances, Girard made a pair of kick saves stretching the left pad, but the second rebound fell in front of Jed Brazo -- alone at the right post -- to tie the score.

UNE got back on level ground in the 2nd with an 11-10 edge in shots, and the deadlock continued into the final stanza. The visitors then began to tilt the numbers their way in the 3rd, which wound up 10-5 in shots. The Nor'easters regained the lead on the scoreboard when Murphy cashed in on the second power play of the period, whipping a wrist shot from just inside the left dot, through a screen, into the near-side top corner. Jacob Pellerin, with a leaping glove to keep the puck in the zone moments earlier, and then DiScanio, assisted on the play.

Any momentum from the go-ahead goal was negated with 4:36 left as the Cadets went on the advantage, however Norwich was only able to test Girard once during the two minutes. UNE's path to the finish became even tougher with another penalty at the 1:45 mark, which, combined with pulling the goalie seven ticks later, established a 6-on-4 difference for the remainder of play. But the Nor'easters limited NU to just two looks at the target before the buzzer, sealing it with one blocked shot by Nathan Chickering and the other denied by Girard.

Dawson Ellis helped UNE's defensive stand on the night with a team-high three blocks in front of Girard.

Sami Molu had 25 saves between the pipes for the hosts, who put Bryan O'Mara and Clark Kerner on the All-Tournament Team. Matt Harvey supported Molu with eight blocked shots.

The Nor'easters return home to face Williams College on Tuesday (4 p.m.) for the first contest of the 2024 calendar year.