NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Connecticut College men's ice hockey team dropped an exhibition game to Norwich by a 6-2 score on Sunday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena.
 
Both teams were facing outside competition for the first time this winter and mutually agreed to play it as an exhibition. They both dressed more than the maximum 19 skaters allowed for it to be a countable game.
 
Even though Norwich held a 12-3 advantage in total shots during the first period, the teams headed into the first intermission with the Cadets only ahead 1-0 thanks in large part to an 11-save effort by Camel freshman netminder Cam Fernandez (Fairfield, Conn). Brent Rickett wristed a shot from the top of the slot in transition to put the hosts up 1-0 with just 1:01 remaining in the opening frame.
 
Connecticut College, however, quickly evened the score after going on a power play in the second. Junior Steven Senese (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) won a puck along the boards and got it to Colin Stevens on the right point, and the junior sent a cross ice pass to Kyle Shero (Westwood, Mass.) at the left point. Shero then blasted a puck which would be redirected in by senior captain Brett Stirling (Aurora, Ontario). It was the first goal allowed by the Cadets since Jan. 24, 2020 and after they had shut out nine straight opponents.
 
Norwich, which ended the 2019-20 campaign as the top-ranked team in the country heading into the NCAA Tournament which got called off due to the pandemic, recovered and lit the lamp four straight times in the second to take control. Four different players found the back of the net, which was capped by an unassisted marker by Niks Krollis at the 19:23 mark to give the hosts a 5-1 cushion.
 
The Camels battled back and were able to score for the second time at the midway point of the third. Stirling fired in a loose puck that could not be controlled by Ben Nelson, and junior Sam Stone (Middleton, Mass.) was able to successfully pot the rebound from the right side at 11:02. Noah Williams then finished a pass from Krollis with four seconds remaining to produce the final outcome.
 
Nelson was credited with the win between the pipes for Norwich, which outshot the Camels by a 33-20 margin, by making 18 saves. Fernandez and freshman classmate Sean Dynan (Reading, Mass.) split time in net for the Camels and combined to stop 27 shots. Fernandez made 17 saves in two periods of action and Dynan turned away 10 shots in the third.