The Norwich Men's Ice Hockey team begins postseason play Saturday night when it hosts the University of Massachusetts Boston in the Little East Conference (LEC) Semifinal, closing out a conference semifinal doubleheader inside Kreitzberg Arena.

The Cadets enter the tournament as the inaugural LEC regular-season champions after finishing 16-5-4 overall and 13-2-3 in conference play. Norwich rides a 15-game unbeaten streak into the postseason and has been particularly strong on home ice, winning 11 of its 16 contests in Northfield this season. In the Quarterfinal
Norwich earned a first-round bye after securing the top seed in the conference tournament.

Fifth-seeded UMass Boston advanced with a 3-2 win at Southern Maine on Wednesday night. Jude Kurtas opened the scoring late in the first period before the Huskies briefly grabbed the lead early in the second. Kurtas netted his second goal of the night to tie the contest before Chris Repmann delivered the game-winning power-play goal with five minutes remaining.

The Beacons locked things down defensively down the stretch, limiting Southern Maine to just four shots in the third period to secure their place in the semifinal. This Season's Meetings
Both regular-season meetings between the Cadets and Beacons required extra time.

The first matchup came on Nov. 22 at Barry Rink in Boston. UMass Boston carried a 2-0 lead into the second intermission before Norwich mounted a late comeback. Nick Cordeiro (Mississauga, Ont.) scored on the power play to cut the deficit in half before Zach Ophoven (Burlington, Ont.) buried the equalizer with just two minutes remaining to force overtime. Kurtas ultimately delivered the game-winner 1:49 into the extra frame. Devon Thibodeau (Pelham, Ont.) added two assists while goaltender Sami Molu (Toronto, Ont.) made 38 saves in the contest.

The teams met again on Jan. 30 in Kreitzberg Arena. Norwich jumped out to a quick start, scoring twice in 16 seconds to grab the early lead. The Beacons answered early in the second period and tied the game in the third despite a dominant final frame from the Cadets. UMass Boston netminder Alex Koenig made 23 third-period saves to force overtime.

Both Koenig and Molu came up with big stops in the extra session before the game moved to a shootout, where Frank D'Ancona (Fort Myers, Fla.) buried the deciding goal to give Norwich the victory. Tale of the Tape

Stat Category	Norwich	UMass Boston
Record	16-5-4 (13-2-3 LEC)	15-9-2 (9-7-2 LEC)
Goals/Game	3.5	3.6
Goals Against/Game	2.2	2.7
Power Play	22.9%	20.8%
Penalty Kill	81.4%	82.9%
Team Save %	.921	.924

Norwich Leaders
The Cadets feature a balanced offensive attack with several skaters eclipsing the 20-point mark.

Ben van Waterschoot (Whiby, Ont.) and Frank D'Ancona pace the team in scoring, while Zach Ophoven's 11 goals lead the squad. Colin Elliott (Peterborough, Ont.) and Boyd Stahlbaum (Peterborough, Ont.) have also been key contributors, with Stahlbaum's seven power-play goals and four game-winners playing a significant role in Norwich's success this season.

Van Waterschoot and Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, Ont.) both rank among the top ten in the LEC in assists, while van Waterschoot and D'Ancona sit second and third in the conference in faceoff percentage. UMass Boston Leaders
The Beacons' offense is powered by the duo of Jude Kurtas and Jazz Krivtsov, who are tied for the team lead with 15 goals apiece. Kurtas also ranks third in the LEC with 20 assists.

Jack Mortson and Chris Repmann add additional scoring punch, with both players also reaching the 20-point plateau this season. Between the Pipes
Sami Molu has carried the load in net for Norwich, starting the Cadets' final eight contests. Molu anchors the 12th-ranked scoring defense in Division III and currently ranks second in the LEC in goals-against average (2.22) and third in save percentage (.924).

UMass Boston has relied on a two-goalie rotation between Alex Koenig and Connor McDonough. Koenig started both meetings against Norwich this season, while McDonough earned the nod in the quarterfinal win over Southern Maine. Both netminders boast nearly identical save percentages — Koenig at .927 and McDonough at .926 — ranking first and second in the LEC. What's Next
The winner of Saturday's semifinal will advance to the LEC Championship game to face the victor of the Babson vs. Plymouth State semifinal. With home ice, momentum, and the regular-season crown already secured, the Cadets now turn their attention toward continuing their postseason push and chasing the inaugural LEC tournament title.