Box Score @font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Melissa Rundlett (Saco, Maine) and sophomore Jacqueline Perez (San Gabriel, Calif.) each score two goals as the fourth-ranked Norwich University Cadets got the early jump, then held on against the University of Southern Maine Huskies for a 5-3 victory Saturday afternoon in an ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Women's East game at the USM Ice Arena.
The win was the fifth straight for the Cadets since a season-opening loss against R.I.T. The Cadets are now 5-1-0 overall and undefeated atop the league standings at 4-0-0. The Huskies dropped their first game of the season to slide to 1-1-1 overall and in league play.
After spotting Southern Maine an early 1-0 lead on a goal by freshman Erin Banfield (Montpelier, Vt.), Norwich turned up the intensity. Perez tied the game with her first goal of the season less than two minutes after Banfield's tally. Rundlett gave the Cadets the lead for good at 8:09 with her second goal of the year.
Before the period was over, the Cadets added the first of their three power-play goals when sophomore Jillyane DeBus (Howell, Mich.) found the net. The Cadets had a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal for the opening 20 minutes.
In the middle period, Perez added what proved to be the game-winning goal at 6:44, and Rundlett scored what appeared to be an insurance goal at 18:41. Both goals came while the Cadets had the extra skater.
Sophomore Kailey Bubier (Auburn, Maine) put some jump in the Huskies step scoring 50 seconds into the third period. Bubier cut the margin to 5-3 at 9:31 with her third goal of the season to make things interesting, but that was as close as the Huskies would get.
Junior Sarianne Lynn (Wethersford, Conn.) had three assists for Norwich. Perez also picked up an assist to give her a three-point game. DeBus finished with a goal and an assist. For Southern Maine, junior Katie Paradis (Rochester, N.H.) picked up an assist on all three USM goals, and Banfield had a goal and an assist.
Norwich out shot USM 37-10 for the game, and was 3 for 5 on the power play. Senior goalie Cindy Fortin (Quebec City, Que.) posted seven saves for the win. Freshman Jordan Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who had 31 saves over the final 52 minutes after relieving senior Jackie Zarb (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.), took the loss.
Southern Maine hits the road next weekend for games at New England College on Friday (4:00 p.m.) and Castleton State on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). Norwich will host the University of Massachusetts Boston next Saturday (1:00 p.m.).
-ble
