SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team fell by a 5-0 decision against nationally-ranked Norwich University in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action at Cairns Arena on Friday. The Purple Knights move to 3-12-1 overall and 1-8 in league play, while the Cadets are 10-6 and 8-1. The Cadets, who advanced the NCAA Division III Tournament title game in four of the last six years, are 10th in both national polls. Norwich also won the last four Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East Tournament titles.

Senior Kaly Spilhaus (Bourne, Mass./Groton School) and sophomore Amanda Donahoe (Wakefield, Mass./Saint Mary's) both won six faceoffs for Saint Michael's. First-year Nicole Talcott (Colchester, Vt./Rice Memorial Prep) collected 40 saves in her collegiate debut, registering the third-most saves for a Purple Knight goalie in her initial collegiate appearance. Annice Mason '06 made 57 stops on Nov. 22, 2002, to set the program mark for single-game saves by a goalie in her first-ever appearance.

Norwich received points from 11 players. Senior Madison Gallagher (Kirkland, Quebec/Milton Academy) scored twice, while sophomore Sarah Schwenzfeier (Hingham, Mass./Tabor Academy) recorded one goal and one assist and senior Rachel Bellio (Denver, Colo./Maine) and first-year Maddie Tasha (North Falmouth, Mass./Tabor Academy) both provided one goal. First-year Bryn Labbe (Calgary, Alberta/Warner Hockey School) was 17-for-25 on faceoffs and classmate Jessica Piracini (Tewksbury, Mass./Arlington Catholic) was 11-of-12 on draws. Sophomore Laurie King (Waddington, N.Y./Ontario Hockey Academy) turned in an 11-save shutout.

Norwich pumped in three goals during a 19-shot opening period. Schwenzfeier potted the first goal at 3:06 as she one-touched a shot into the left side after receiving a right side half-boards pass from Piracini. Tasha then netted her first collegiate goal by picking the top left corner on a point shot at 10:22. Norwich scored 1:54 later as Schwenzfeier's blocked shot was picked up by Gallagher, who jammed in the puck to the right side. Purple Knight junior Tori Hubbard (Saint Albans, Vt./BFA-Saint Albans) fired a point shot that was stopped by King just before time expired.

The Cadets extended their lead to 4-0 after two periods. While on the power play late in the stanza, Norwich senior Taylor Cross (Saugus, Mass./Assabet Valley) received a cross-ice pass and rang a shot off the left post. Less than 30 seconds later, Cross connected with first-year Carly Menges (Novelty, Ohio/Maine) on a tape-to-tape blue line pass and Menges fed down to Gallagher, whose low shot through traffic beat Talcott blocker side at 15:36 for a player-advantage tally.

Saint Michael's had a pair of scoring chances during a power play midway through the third period. At 9:13, junior Carolyn Avery (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) wristed a shot from the left side that was gobbled up by King and classmate Erin Dwyer (Weymouth, Mass./Archbishop Williams) tapped a low shot in traffic that was stopped. Norwich potted its final goal with 23 seconds remaining as Bellio scooted up ice and snapped a shot into the left side for a short-handed marker.

Saint Michael's plays on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Division I College of the Holy Cross, the defending ECAC East Open Tournament champion.