Ice Hockey Pre-Season Launch Party
This last weekend, Norwich’s hockey teams partook in several pre-season activities. From playing in a scrimmage match against each other to a launch party, the teams are raring to demonstrate to the Norwich community the strength of Norwich’s Cadets this coming season.
On Saturday, both teams participated in an inter-team scrimmage with fans looking on from the stands; a perfect showcase of the skills each team has going into the season. Afterwards, Sodexo showed off their new arrangement of snacks to be served at the Kreitzberg Arena Snack Bar, from mini hotdogs, to pizzas, and more.
For this inaugural season of the Little East Conference (LEC)—a Division III intercollegiate athletic conference which Norwich joined in March of 2024—Norwich welcomes two new head coaches to the Hill. Justin Simpson, the Head Coach of the Women’s Ice Hockey team, was previously the assistant head coach of the women’s hockey team at Brown University.
Also joining the Cadets family is Dominick Dawes, a 2004 graduate and alum from Norwich University with 240 Career Wins as Head Coach and 2009 NCAA D-III Champion as head coach of Neuman University and a 2003 NCAA D-III National Champion as a Cadet. Dawes is now the 12th head coach of the Men’s Hockey Team 116 years ago since the team was founded.
The Hill also welcomes back two Men All-Conference honorees, Cooper Bertrand (First Team) from Caledon, Ontario; and Sami Molu (Second Team) from Toronto, Ontario. Also returning to the Norwich community is two-time All-American Women’s award recipient Livia Brooks from Walpole, Mass.
The team was excited to show off not just the skillsets of their rookie players but the veteran prowess of their senior players. Between the multiple trainings and classes, it is safe to say the Norwich Cadets are ready to take on their first opponents next weekend on October 18th, with the Men’s Hockey Team taking on Saint Anslem College, and the Women’s Hockey Team taking on Suffolk University.
Rugby Leads the Way: Starting off this Season 7-0 Lead
The Hill also took part in a Men’s Rugby Game between the Cadets and the University of Maine, where the Men’s Rugby team came out victorious with a 33-5 disciple victory: taking the Men’s Rugby Team to 7-0. One of the Best starts in the Cadet’s Rugby Season.
As a result, the Men’s Rugby Team will be afforded a well-deserved BYE week (automatically advanced to the next round of a tournament without having to play an opponent)
In other news, the Women’s Rugby Team netted their first loss of the season against the Coast Guard Academy {17-48}. Although this loss undoubtedly hurts, the team is ready and fired up to take on the University of Maine next week.
