National Champs

The Norwich University men's hockey team had a successful trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y., this year, winning the national championship.

The number 1 ranked Cadets fought through three periods and two overtimes to win the game and become the 2010 Division III national champions. This is the third national championship for the men's hockey team in 10 years.

It was special to win in Lake Placid, according to head coach Mike McShane. "Lake Placid is a special place for hockey," he said.

Norwich faced off against St. Norbert's College for the national title on March 20. The team had played the later game the night before, and according to McShane, historically the team that plays the later game doesn't have success in the championship game. 

"If you don't score early and get a good lead, history has been that the team runs out of gas," McShane said. "What was shocking was we got stronger, we were playing good hockey right up until the end."

Before getting to the NCAA Frozen Four, the Cadets beat Elmira College in overtime in the NCAA quarterfinal game at Kreitzberg Arena. 

"It was obviously a very tight game," McShane said. "We changed our forecheck in the second period, to a more aggressive forecheck. I think from there on in we outplayed them. But we hit a hot, hot goalie and that seems to be the trend in the playoffs," McShane said.

The overtime goal was scored by freshman Pier-Oliver Cotnoir and assisted by sophomore Emmond Bell two minutes and 12 seconds into overtime.

After beating Elmira, the Cadets advanced onto the semifinals where they were matched up against Plattsburgh State College. 

"We came out and played very well in the first period. The score was one-nothing at the end of one.  I thought it could have been two or three, we missed loads of chances to go ahead," McShane said.

McShane said he thought Plattsburgh outplayed his team in the second period, even though the Cadets scored towards the end of the second to make the score 2 to 1. "It was Pier (Cotnoir) again," McShane said. "It was a bomb; a great shot."

Senior Steve Coon, a defenseman, capped the scoring off for the Cadets in the third period. The Plattsburgh Cardinals responded with a goal before the end of the game.

The final score was 3-2. The win sent the Cadets to the National Championship game.
Going into the championship game, McShane was concerned with how well St. Norbert's College played.

"My thoughts were that they were a very good defensive team, and that we were going to have trouble getting through the neutral zone because they played a trap," McShane said.

The Cadets scored in the first period on a power play; junior Chad Anderson recorded the first goal for the Cadets. St. Norbert tied the game in the second period, 1-1. Both goaltenders kept the puck out of the net during the third period and the first overtime.

"(Ryan) Klingensmith made some excellent saves," McShane said.

The Cadets finally won the game in the second overtime. The overtime goal came from Cotnoir, which was his second overtime goal in the NCAA tournament.

The final score to win the national title: 2-1 in double overtime.

Senior defenseman Eric Tallent was unable to play the last game of his hockey career at Norwich due to a foot injury. He had injured it before the quarterfinal game against

Elmira College, which caused him to miss the Elmira game. But Tallent was able to play in the semifinal game Friday night against Plattsburg State College.

"He played Friday night and he played pretty well, but he missed the last few shifts because he re-injured it," McShane said.

This national championship is McShane's and Norwich's third. The first national championship was won out west in Wisconsin in 2000, and the second was won at Kreitzberg in 2003.

According to McShane, this title is  the most special because it was won in Lake Placid.

"It's a hockey town," McShane said. "That's where we (Team U.S.A) won the '80 (Olympic) gold medal game."

McShane and his team are very thankful for all of the support they received throughout the season.

"I want to thank the students for all their support all year. And obviously the local people in our fan base because without them we wouldn't have been able to do it," McShane said.