RUTLAND, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's ice hockey team went toe-to-toe with the nationally competitive Norwich University Cadets on a snowy Friday evening, closing out the regular season with a hard-fought 1-1 tie before falling 1-0 in the shootout.

The Basics

• Final Score: Norwich 1, Castleton 1 (OT, Norwich wins SO 1-0)
• Location: Spartan Arena – Rutland, Vt.
• Records: Norwich 16-5-4 (13-2-3 LEC) | Castleton 13-10-2 (9-8-1 LEC)

How It Happened
It was all go from the jump as Emmett McHardy won the opening faceoff. Both teams traded early chances, with several shots blocked before reaching the net. Norwich ran into trouble early when Scislizzi was sent to the box at 1:48 for roughing, giving Castleton the game's first power-play opportunity.

The Spartans capitalized quickly, striking at 2:22 to take a 1-0 lead. McHardy netted the opening goal, assisted by Trevor Castino and Cam Reid.

The first period was played at a high tempo and featured five total penalties, with Castleton scoring the lone power-play goal. While the Spartans led on the scoreboard, Norwich applied steady pressure, firing 17 shots on goal and blocking seven attempts.

The second period belonged mostly to the Cadets, though Castleton generated a strong two-minute stretch between the 12- and 14-minute marks that forced Norwich goaltender Sami Molu to make three saves. The visitors sent 21 shots toward Josh Ward, who stood tall in net.

Ward faltered just once in the third period, allowing the equalizer at 7:55 to knot the game at 1-1. The remainder of regulation was intense, with both teams pushing for the go-ahead goal. Each goalie came up with key stops to keep their squads alive.

Ward made five saves late in regulation to secure at least one point in the conference standings, drawing a loud response from the Spartan Arena crowd. After 60 minutes, the contest moved to a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime period. Unlike regulation, overtime saw limited chances, with just three shots reaching the net.

Castleton nearly ended it late when David Coyle and Luke Chakrabarti broke free on an odd-man rush. Chakrabarti found Coyle across the doorstep, and his shot from the left post rang off the inside of the iron before deflecting back into play, leaving the crowd gasping.

With no winner after 65 minutes, the game advanced to a best-of-three shootout. Castleton was stopped on all three attempts, while Norwich converted once on its second shooter to claim the extra point and clinch the regular-season title.
Goaltending shined on both sides, as Ward made a career-best 57 saves for the Spartans, while Molu turned away 36 shots for the Cadets.
 

By the Numbers

• McHardy's goal was his 14th of the season, as he remains second on the team in scoring with 29 points and a team-best 15 assists.
• Defense was on full display, with Castleton recording 28 blocked shots to Norwich's seven. Reid, Cole Bowditch, and Holdin Getzlaf led the way with four blocks apiece, while Logan Dapprich and Cedrick Theodore added three each.
• Ward's 57 saves mark the most by a Castleton goaltender since Brandon Collett made 61 stops against Hobart on February 18, 2023.

What's Next
Castleton currently sits fifth in the six-team playoff field and has officially locked in a postseason berth. Final seeding will be determined by Saturday's results. The Spartans will travel to a higher seed to open the first-ever LEC Hockey Championships.

Current LEC Standings

1. Norwich – Clinched
2. Babson – Clinched
3. Plymouth State – 33 points
4. Southern Maine – 31 points
5. Castleton – 29 points
6. UMass Boston – 27 points

Eliminated: New England College, UMass Dartmouth, Keene State, WestConn