NORTHFIELD, Vt.- The Norwich women's ice hockey team continued its strong push through Little East Conference (LEC) play Friday night, returning to Kreitzberg Arena with a commanding 5–1 victory over UMass Boston in its first home game since Jan. 17.

Reigning LEC Rookie of the Week Maggie Hunter (Royal Oak, Mich.) paced the Cadets with a three-point performance, while Alex Leslie (Irishtown, N.B.) and Marja Linzbichler (Graz, Austria) added two points apiece in a balanced offensive effort.

Norwich wasted little time asserting control. Just two minutes into the contest, Leslie jump-started the opening tally with a breakout from the defensive zone, feeding Libby Lane (Northville, Mich.) as the Cadets transitioned into the attacking end. Lane quickly found Linzbichler, who finished the play to give Norwich a 1–0 lead.

The Cadets continued to press Beacon goaltender Leah Bosch throughout the opening period, hemming UMass Boston in its own zone and building a 14–3 advantage in shots. However, the Beacons capitalized on their first power-play opportunity eight minutes in, as Jenna Fitzsimmons converted to even the score at 1–1.

Despite sustained pressure from Norwich late in the period, Bosch turned aside several quality chances to keep the game tied after twenty minutes.

The second period belonged to the Cadets.

After a flurry of early chances, Norwich broke through just past the halfway mark. Madalyn Liles (Arlington, Texas) sprung Linzbichler on a rush, and while Bosch denied the initial opportunity, the rebound came out to Hunter in the slot. Hunter stepped into a slap shot that beat Bosch to her glove side, restoring the Cadets' lead.

The momentum never shifted back.

Norwich extended its advantage in the final five minutes of the period. Jordan Brady (Green Bay, Wis.) and Lauren Tuzik (Frankfort, Ill.) worked the puck along the blue line before Tuzik sent a crisp cross-ice feed to Olivia Boyer (Saint Paul, Minn.) at the right circle. Boyer tapped home the opportunity to make it 3–1.

Moments later, Leslie and Geena Cookinham (Gilmanton, N.H.) exchanged passes along the left boards before Leslie slid the puck across to Hunter. Hunter wristed a shot through traffic on the power play, giving Norwich its second man-advantage goal of the night and a 4–1 cushion heading into the third period.

Both teams traded unsuccessful power plays early in the final frame, but Norwich quickly regained territorial control. The Cadets continued to forecheck aggressively and limit UMass Boston's transition opportunities, keeping Bosch under steady pressure.

Late in the third, Norwich capped the scoring. Breanna Ricker (Laconia, N.H.) fed Hunter on a rush, and Hunter's backhand attempt deflected off Cookinham at the top of the crease and into the net for the Cadets' fifth goal of the night.

Behind the offense, Norwich's defensive structure limited UMass Boston's chances, allowing just a handful of quality looks while maintaining control in all three zones.

"It was nice to be home tonight after 5 road games in a row and 7 of our last 9 also on the road," said Head Coach Justin Simpson. "We had a great turnout for fan appreciation night, and our group fed off their energy.  We played a solid first period, but we really turned it up a notch in the 2nd and 3rd periods. It was nice to see Maggie continue where she left off last weekend with a three-point performance, especially on her birthday."

The Cadets and Beacons will conclude the weekend series Saturday, Feb. 14, with a 3 p.m. puck drop at Kreitzberg Arena as Norwich looks to complete the sweep.