Huskies Finish Season 8-16-3

            NORTHFIELD, Vt. -- Five different players scored goals and senior goalie Tom Aubrun (Chamonix, France) stopped 17 shots to post his nation-leading 12th shutout of the season as the top-seeded Norwich University Cadets defeated the seventh-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies 5-0 in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) semifinal round game Saturday evening at Kreitzberg Arena.

            The win vaults the Cadets into next weekend's NEHC title game against third-seeded Hobart College.  Hobart advanced to the championship game with its 4-2 win over fourth seeded New England College.  Norwich, ranked number in the nation this week, is now 23-2-2, and is unbeaten in its last 17 games (15-0-2).

            Southern Maine, which advanced to the semifinals after its 3-2 upset win over second seeded Babson College last weekend, finishes the season at 8-16-3.

            Junior Coby Downs (Montclair, Calif.) and rookie Braedyn Aubin (Woodstock, Ontario) gave the home side a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals inside the final four minutes of the period.

            Senior Christian Thompson (Windham, N.H.) increase the margin to 3-0 at 6:43 of the second period.  Senior Jordan Hall (Anchorage, Alaska) and rookie Phil Elgstom (Stockholm , Sweden) tacked on insurance markers in the final period.

            Norwich outshot Southern Maine 41-17 in the game and converted on 2 of 4 power-play chances.  Southern Maine went 0 for 3 with the man advantage.  Southern Maine senior goalie Paul Léger (Blainville, Quebec) stopped 36 shots.

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