RUTLAND, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's hockey team saw a third-period rally get cut short against No. 9 Norwich on Saturday, dropping a 5-2 contest to the Cadets at Spartan Arena.
Andrew Stefura embellished on his team-leading scoring mark, adding two goals while Josef Vyvial chipped in a pair of assists. Helpers were also tabbed to Bryce Irwin and Aiden Robson, tallying the Kelowna, B.C. native's first collegiate point. The Spartans (3-4-0, 2-2-0 NEHC) outshot the Cadets (4-2-1, 3-2-1 NEHC) by a considerable 36-22 margin.
In goal for VTSU Castleton, Dominic Rodrigue gobbled up 17 shots. Justin Stairs stopped three shots taken by the visitors while Cam Reid and Cedrick Theodore notched two blocks apiece.
Norwich capitalized on a power play in the opening minutes when Jed Brazo's deflected shot was gathered by Bryan O'Mara, then kicked to Clark Kerner whose strike put the nationally-ranked Cadets on the board. In the 10th minute, Patrick O'Neil found paydirt to finish off a quick surge with assists going to Patrick Del Vecchio and Cooper Bertrand. The Spartans came up empty on a charge later in the period and the Cadets took advantage as Johnny Johnson knocked in the squad's third tally and eventual game-winner.
Regrouping at the break, Castleton burst into the second stanza and flooded the offensive end. Vyvial and Irwin connected with Stefura who tucked a shot into the upper-right side of the frame to cut the gap to 3-1. Each side traded blows for the rest of the period to no avail, but the Cadets began pulling the trigger on opportunities and collected a man-up chance at the final whistle.
A successful penalty kill for the Spartans spurred a six-minute span in which 10 shots were fired in consecutive order. Robson delivered a long-range dart that Vyvial tipped over to Stefura on the right side of the crease. The junior forward slid the puck in front of the net as Norwich attempted to clear, somehow causing the disc to glide in and make it a 3-2 game. However, the hosts were hit with a five-minute major to put the Cadets on power play. Exactly one minute into the advantage, Cooper Bertrand launched a bullet into the twine to lengthen the deficit. Zach Ophoven's dart with 3:12 left sealed it for Norwich to close the contest at 5-2.
The Spartans finish their stretch of home events with the Terry Moran Invitational next weekend, beginning with a matchup against MCLA on Friday, November 24. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. following the conclusion of the tournament opener between SUNY Morrisville and Rivier.
