Defending national-champions score seven unanswered goals against Purple Knights

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Contact: Tony Bonvechio - Phone: (802) 654-2929

Box Score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/mice/2010-11/files/mnorstm.htm.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Saint Michael's College men's hockey team (3-3-0, 2-3-0 ECAC East, 1-0-0 NE-10) suffered a 8-1 loss to #3 Norwich University at Cairns Arena on Tuesday, surrendering seven unanswered goals to the nationally-ranked Cadets (5-1-1, 4-0-1 ECAC). The defeat marks the first seven-goal loss for the Purple Knights since losing to Norwich 7-0 on Dec. 9, 2008, and the team's worst loss since falling 12-2 against Middlebury Feb. 6, 2009.

The game was moved to Cairns Arena's second rink due to an unplayable surface on the usual Saint Michael's home ice, but Norwich sophomore Pier-Olivier Cotnoir (Rouyn-Notanda, Que./Champlain Cougars) could have played well on a frozen pond as he lit up the Purple Knights for four goals. Cotnoir netted two goals in both the first and second periods, and got some help from classmate Scott Schroeder (Drake, Sask./Humboldt Broncos), who tallied five assists and had a hand in all of Cotnoir's goals.

Norwich freshman Travis Janke (Swift Current, Sask./Notre Dame Hounds) drew first blood with a power play goal on a pass from Schroeder in the third minute. Saint Michael's senior Nick Sheehan (Potsdam, N.Y./Cornwall Colts) immediately answered with a breakaway goal, depositing his own rebound past Cadet sophomore goalie Alex Dubois (Sherbrooke, Que./Champlain Cougars) just two minutes later. The Purple Knights would hold the tie for three more minutes before Cotnoir went on an offensive tear.

At 8:36, Cotnoir camped in front of the goal and redirected a shot into the net for his first goal. Cotnoir struck again just 15 seconds later and slipped in a goal in front of a crowded crease. Senior Chad Anderson (Dartmouth, N.S./Weyburn) netted the first goal of the second period just under two minutes in, and Cotnoir recorded goals three and four to stretch the Norwich lead to 6-1.

The Purple Knights battled through 18 minutes of scoreless play in the third period until sophomore Blake Forkey (Boca Raton, Fla./Avon Old Farms), the Cadets' leading scorer last season, scored his first goal of the year with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Just before the final buzzer, Schroeder fired a slap shot into the top right shelf to make the final score 8-1.

Sophomore goalie Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Que./OCN Blizzard), at left, made 26 saves in two periods before senior Brendan Rimmer (Newbury, Mass./Pingree School) filled in, stopping 10 shots in the third. Dubois totaled 19 saves in his fifth win of the season.

The Purple Knights return to action at Franklin Pierce on Saturday for a Northeast-10 Conference game at 7 p.m.

GAME SUMMARY

Norwich 3 3 2 - 8
Saint Michael's 1 0 0 - 1

First Period: 1. NOR, Janke (Schroeder), 3:32. 2. STM, Sheehan (MacKinnon), 5:34. 3. NOR, Cotnoir (Janke, Schroeder), 8:36. 4. NOR, Cotnoir (Eskedjian, Schroeder), 8:51.

Second Period: 5. NOR, Anderson (Forkey, Duszynski), 1:45. 6. NOR, Cotnoir (Schroeder, Fulton), 4:26. 7. NOR, Cotnoir (Schroeder, Janke), 11:46.   

Third Period: 8. NOR, Forkey (Anderson, Eskedjian), 18:49. 9. NOR, Schroeder (Baker), 19:59.

Shots on Goal: NOR (16 – 16 – 12 – 44), STM (13 – 5 – 2 – 20)

Saves: NOR, Dubois (60:00), 19 saves. STM, Dizgun (40:00), 26 saves; Rimmer (20:00), 10 saves.

Photo of Dizgun from Tuesday's SMC/Norwich game taken by Shane Bufano.

                                                                             -PURPLEKNIGHTS-