Norwich scores three goals late to stun Middlebury

In some Division III college hockey action, host team Norwich University defeated rival Middlebury College 5-4 at the 15th Annual PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout Tournament Championship Saturday night in one of the wildest and most exciting hockey games you’ll ever see.

The teams met after each won their opening game of the weekend on Friday, Middlebury defeating Plattsburgh State 3-2 and Norwich edging the St. Thomas Tommies by the same score. The 144th all-time meeting between the two Vermont schools was an instant classic. Right from the opening drop of the puck, both teams were very aggressive and the scoring came early and often. Norwich got on the board first with a power play goal by junior Chris Duszynksi at 12:25. Middlebury responded with a goal of their own, as Matt Silcoff scored the first of his two goals on the night three minutes later to tie the score. Silcoff, The freshman from Ontario, picked up an assist in the tournament opener Friday night to tally 3 points on the weekend and earn the Top Rookie award.

Looking for their second PrimeLink Shootout trophy in a row, Norwich took the lead again early in the second period when Tory Allan scored (assisted by Colin Mulvey and Corey Hale), but Middlebury scored twice in a 42 second span to take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.

Middlebury Panthers extended their lead to 4-2 with 7:38 remaining in the third period as freshman Brendan McGovern found the back of the goal unassisted. But Norwich took advantage of some opportunities to get right back into it a short time later. With a delayed penalty coming, Travis Janke from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, scored to cut the lead to one. 1:57 into the ensuing power play, Colin Mulvey took a nice pass from Janke in front of the goal and scored to tie the game 4-4 with 4:12 remaining in regulation.

It looked like we were headed to a shootout but Mulvey and Janke weren’t finished. With the final seconds winding down, the Panthers turned the puck over in their own end, Janke found Colin Mulvey who shot over Middlebury goalkeeper Nick BonDurant’s left shoulder and the Cadets took the 5-4 lead with 6.7 seconds remaining in the game as the home crowd went wild. Norwich (7-0-0) scored three goals in the final 7 minutes to come back from a two goal deficit to claim the victory and remain undefeated on the year.

It was a weekend to remember for Colin Mulvey. The senior forward from Worcester, Massachusetts scored the game tying and game winning goals for the #2 ranked Norwich Cadets. Mulvey assisted in his team’s second score and added another assist in Friday’s match against St. Thomas, earning him the Tournament Most Valuable Player, and a cream pie in the face during the postgame press conference from his teammates. The championship was the Cadets eighth title in the 15-year history of the Thanksgiving-weekend tournament.

The heartbreaking loss for #12 ranked Middlebury drops their record on the season to 2-1-1, but the weekend was a good sign that the Panthers, a traditional Div. III powerhouse that has been down for the past few years, is back on track and is once again a force to be reckoned with. “I am so happy with how my guys played; I thought the weekend couldn’t have gone any better,” said longtime Middlebury head coach Bill Beaney, “unless of course we had won it.”