BOSTON, Mass.—#11 Norwich University scored a power-play goal midway through the third period to squeak out a 2-1 victory over host UMass Boston men's hockey on Saturday afternoon at the Edward T. Barry Ice Rink.

THE BASICS
#11 Norwich 2, UMass Boston 1
(UMass Boston 10-6-1, New England Hockey Conference 6-3-1) 
(Norwich 8-3-4, NEHC 5-3-3) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Freshman Patrick DelVecchio redirected Devon Becker's shot at 10:32 of the third period to give the Cadets a 2-1 advantage and Drennen Atherton stood tall from there. 
 
The Cadets senior goalie made a career-high 38 saves to earn his fourth win of the season. The Sacred Heart University transfer stopped all 17 shots he faced in the third period to secure the win. 
 
Freshman defenseman Michael Krupinski (Dallas, Texas) scored the Beacons lone goal of the contest. Seniors Jeffrey Skinner (Katy, Texas) and Ethan Nitkin (Miami Beach, Fla.) each picked up assists on the play. 
 
In net, junior goalie Sam Best (Woburn, Mass.) dropped his first game since Thanksgiving weekend after stopping 29 shots. The junior stopped double-digit shots in each of the first two periods. 
 
Norwich came out as the aggressor to start the game and opened the scoring just 2:52 into the game. The Cadets put together some tic-tac-toe passing to find Brett Ourderkirk wide-open at the top of the circle and the senior ripped a shot for his ninth goal of the season. Isaac Chapman and Bryan O'Mara each earned assists on the play. 
 
UMass Boston evened the scoring at 7:37 of the second period. Krupinski started the rush with a perfect cross-ice outlet pass that found Nitkin just outside the offensive zone. Nitkin and Skinner traded passes with Skinner skating in one-on-one with Atherton from the far boards, Skinner then found an on-rushing Krupinski at the back post for a wide-open, one-timer goal. 
 
Norwich had a tremendous chance to take the lead late in the period but were denied by Best. With the Beacons on the power-play, the Cadets created a two-on-one rush and the pass found Brendon Jones at the near post but he was denied by a diving Best. The Cadets got a second chance off, but Best was able to make the save on Patrick O'Neal. 
 
The Beacons played their best period of hockey statistically in the third as they outshot Norwich 17-6 but UMass Boston couldn't find the all-important go-ahead goal. 
 
Both teams had two chances apiece on the power-play and it would be the Cadets who would ultimately take advantage. 
 
After the Beacons killed off one penalty, Norwich earned a second penalty 25 seconds later. 
 
A minute into their fourth power-play of the night, Becker sent a soft shot to the front of the net that deflected off the back of DelVecchio and in for a 2-1 lead at 10:32. 
 
UMass Boston had several chances to tie the game late, but Atherton came up with big saves on Nitkin and Ty Mathews (Auburn, Mass.). 
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 

• UMass Boston outshot the Cadets 39-32. Norwich owned a 36-23 advantage on face-offs. 
• The Beacons fell to 11-47-1 all-time against the Cadets. Over the past 11 meetings between the two teams in Boston, Norwich owns a slim 6-5 advantage, with five of those goals being decided by just one goal (UMass Boston 3-2). 
• Nitkin extended his point streak to seven games in a row. The senior has posted seven goals and seven assists during that run. 
• The Beacons had put together a streak of 30 consecutive successful penalty kills prior to Norwich's game-winner. UMass Boston had gone seven-straight games without giving up a power-play goal. 
• With the loss, UMass Boston falls into a three-way tie for second place in the NEHC with 19 points. Elmira College has 19 points with just nine games played, the Beacons have played 10 conference games and Norwich has 19 points and has already played 11 games. 
• The Beacons finish their homestand 6-2. UMass Boston won five games in a row in the middle of the homestand, with their lone two losses coming to Plymouth State University and #11 Norwich. 

WHO'S NEXT 
 
UMass Boston will travel to take on #6 Babson College on Friday night at 7 p.m. in their lone game next week. The Beacons will be looking to sweep the regular-season series from the Beavers for the first time in program history.