Norwich, Vt. (February 1) -- The men's hockey team dropped a 6-2 final at seventh-ranked Norwich on Friday night. The loss drops the Hawks to 5-8-3, 3-8-3 ECAC East, while the win improves Norwich to 15-3-0, 11-1-0 in conference play.

The Hawks took a 1-0 lead early in the first period, as Matt Grazioso (Quincy, Mass.) scored at the 7:47 mark, assisted by John Hennessey (Westwood, Mass.) and Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.). Norwich scored just minutes later to tie it up on a four-on-four when Raphael Robitaille (Cap-Rouge, Quebec) scored at the 11:53 mark, assisted by Sylvain Messier (St. Hyacinthe, Quebec). The game went into the second period tied at one.

Norwich took advantage of the power play twice in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Rick Cleaver (Parksville, British Columbia) scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season on the power play at the 6:55 mark, assisted by Phil Sbrocchi (Mississauga, Ontario) and Eric Lauriault (Gatineau, Quebec). Messier then scored on the power play at the 11:35 mark, assisted by Nikita Kashirsky (Moscow, Russia) and Robitaille. The Hawks got it back within one thanks to a Brian Hartigan (Saugus, Mass.) power play goal at the 19:14 mark, assisted by Ryan Butler (Arlington, Mass.). Norwich took the 3-2 lead into the third period.

Norwich struck for three third period goals to secure the 6-2 victory. Lauriault scored at the 14:34 mark, assisted by D.J. Fimiani (Melrose, Mass.) and Cleaver to make it 4-2. Craig Serino (Saugus, Mass.) then scored at the 18:35 mark, assisted by Nick DelGallo (Cranston, R.I.) and Roman Krivda (Kharkiv, Ukraine). Kashirky struck just 18 seconds later for his 14th goal of the season, assisted by Messier and Robitaille.

The Hawks return to the ice today, as Saint Michael's hosts the Hawks in a Northeast-10 battle at 3 p.m.