PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Middlebury College men’s hockey team split a pair of games against previously undefeated teams in this past weekend’s 22nd Annual PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut in Plattsburgh, N.Y., including a victory over Norwich in Friday’s opening round. Norwich, now 8-1, entered the game as the No. 1 team in NCAA Division III.
The 4-2 Panthers (3-1 NESCAC) return to action this weekend with a pair of games at league foe Amherst (2-3-1, 1-2 NESCAC).
The Panthers topped the Cadets, 2-1 in overtime, on Friday before falling to No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 4-3, in Saturday’s championship game. Norwich defeated Plattsburgh, 5-1, in the consolation, and the Cardinals lost to UW-Eau Claire in Friday’s first round, 6-1.
On Friday Zach Shapiro scored 1:45 into overtime to lift Middlebury to the 2-1 win over Norwich. 
Norwich outshot the Panthers, 19-2, in the scoreless first period, but Panther goalie Brian Ketchabaw held the fort, including making back-to-back point-blank stops on Felix Brassard and Brett Ouderkirk on a late power play.
The Panthers took the lead at 11:36 of the second period on a Matt Danner goal. Danner converted a Tyler Capello pass into the slot. The Cadets’ Brassard tied the game at 19:17 on a power play, netting the rebound of a Ryan Boucher shot from the right dot. The Panthers held a 10-6 edge in shots during the frame.
The third period saw good chances for both teams. Ketchabaw denied two bids on a mid-period Norwich power play, and at 14:32 kicked away a Phil Elgstam shot from between the circles. The Panthers failed to convert a 5-on-3 late-period power play.
In the opening minute of overtime Ketchabaw denied Norwich’s Matt Burchill with his left pad. Finally, just after a Cadet penalty expired, Shapiro muscled in the game-winner during a scrum in front of the Norwich goal that saw players from each side battling for the puck.  
Ketchabaw made 36 saves, while Tom Aubrun made 19 stops for the Cadets.
In Saturday’s championship game No. 3 UW-Eau Claire (8-0-1) held off a Middlebury rally in a 4-3 win.
Middlebury took the lead 3:19 into the game on a Danner goal. Capello won a faceoff on the left side to Danner, who wristed a shot over the shoulder of Blugold goalie Zach Dyment.
UW-Eau Claire tied the game at 1-1 at 12:22 of the period when Nick Techel put his own rebound past Panther goalie Adam Wisco. The Blugolds took the lead 2:18 later when Jarrad Vroman’s wrist shot from the left dot caught Wisco’s left shoulder and trickled in.
The Blugolds took a 3-1 lead 41 seconds into the second period when Derek Hammer netted a rebound. UW-Eau Claire made it 4-1 game at 10:54, when Cole Pasku converted a Jon Richards wraparound pass, a play that ended Wisco’s night in favor of Ketchabaw.
Middlebury moved to within 4-2 at 13:42 of the third period when Emack Bentley tapped in the rebound of a Bret Pastor shot from the right point. The Panthers pulled Ketchabaw with 3:40 remaining, and Shapiro scored 30 seconds later on a rebound. Ketchabaw again came off the ice with a minute to go, but Middlebury was unable to muster another good chance.
UW-Eau Claire outshot the Panthers, 39-28. Wisco made 24 saves, while Ketchabaw made 11. Dyment made 24 for the Blugolds to earn the tournament MVP honors. Danner was named to the all-tournament team.