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SPORTS

The Norwich Guidon
April 8, 2004

Men's Hockey loses to Middlebury in division III semi-final game

By Brian Mullally
Norwich Guidon Staff writer

Special is the word that describes last Friday night’s NCAA hockey semifinal matchup between two Vermont state rivals. The game, which lasted 87 minutes and 19 seconds, was six minutes shy of being the longest division three hockey game ever.

The host team, the Norwich University Cadets, faced off against the Middlebury College Panthers, in what proved to be one of the best hockey games ever witnessed by over three thousand people packed in the Kreitzberg Arena.

“It’s too bad someone had to lose that game,” said Kevin Cutler, a Northfield resident. “Both teams left everything they had out on that ice, tonight, and both teams should be proud of what they have accomplished.”

The Panthers eventually prevailed in the second overtime, with 7:17 remaining in period number five, but not before some heart-stopping action at both ends of the ice. The Cadets came out with guns a-blazing in the first period, as Kurtis Mclean knocked home a rebound just fifteen seconds into the game to put the Cadets up 1- 0.

“We had a little revenge to give back to those guys after we lost 6-2 to them at their barn,” said Phil Aucoin, a senior communications major from Chelmsford, MA.

The Cadets continued to roll as Andrew Senesi scored a breakaway goal ten minutes later as Aucoin dished a pass to his line mate to send him in alone.

Norwich went into the locker room after the first period flying high but knew there was still a lot of hockey left to be played.

“We knew we had to stay composed,” said Brad Powell, a senior physical education major from Miami, Fla. “We wanted to play one period at a time and keep shooting the puck.”

The Cadets played well but not well enough, as Middlebury forward John Sales finally got one past Norwich goaltender Kevin Schieve fifteen minutes into the second period. Middlebury goaltender Marc Scheuer played spectacularly, as Norwich forwards continued to bury him with shots.

“Having not lost all year on home ice, we felt pretty confident that we could bury those guys going into the third period,” said Lou Diamasi, a senior business major from Burlington, Vt. “We kept the same game plan of just driving to the net and playing solid defense.”

The energy in Kreitzberg arena was electric. Norwich was ahead of their all-time rival in the NCAA semifinal game, heading into the third and final period.

Norwich came out and dominated offensively throughout the third period. But defensively, the Cadets couldn’t hold it together, as NCAA player of the year Kevin Cooper was left all alone in front of the net and redirected a Middlebury defenseman’s shot with just six minutes remaining in the game.

The game remained tied as the two foes headed into the locker room, knowing that one goal was all that was needed to advance to the following night’s main event, The NCAA Championship.

“I’m sure the fans were a bit nervous watching from above,” said Garret Winder, a sophomore business major from Ajax, Ontario. “But as a team, we knew we just had to not get overwhelmed and just hope for the best.”

After a full twenty-minute overtime period, we were still scoreless. Norwich had seven to eight solid chances to put the game away, but Scheuer continued to shut the Cadets down. Middlebury also had great opportunities to send Norwich packing, but Schieve continued to play spectacularly in the Cadet net.

Heading into the second overtime, there was so much tension in the air. Fans paced frantically back and forth, the players were running on fumes, but their adrenaline and a dream of playing for the title kept them going.

“You would think after playing eighty minutes of hockey, guys would be tired,” said Mike Serba a sophomore criminal justice major from Toronto, Canada. “But that is why we work so hard in the off season is for playoff games like this.”

As the puck dropped in the second overtime, the pace of the game was just as fast as the first twenty minutes. Dazzling plays and sprawling saves continued at both ends. But seven minutes and seventeen seconds into the second overtime, Middlebury forward Levi Doria ended any hopes of Norwich claiming the title on home ice, as he fired a wrist shot into the top corner of the net, knocking the water bottle off.

That was it: game, set, match. The Panthers sprawled onto the ice celebrating, as the Norwich players hung their heads in disbelief.

“It’s a tough way to go out,” Diamasi said. “But we gave it our all, and even though its going to sting for a few weeks, our team has nothing to be ashamed about.”

“That was the best hockey game I have ever played in sixteen years,” Aucoin said. “We had so many chances to end the game, but the puck just didn’t bounce our way.”

The rivalry between the Cadets and the Panthers dates back to 1950. The teams have met 103 times since then, and Middlebury leads the series 53-47-3.

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.