New Hamburg boosted by Topham's play in net, beats Norwich 3-1
The New Hamburg Firebirds relied on the sparkling performance of Tanner Topham in net to grab a 3-1 win against the Norwich Merchants.
Norwich's power play was ineffective against New Hamburg's penalty kill, which allowed one goal while shorthanded.
The Firebirds were led by Tyler Randerson, who had one goal. Randerson scored on the power play 12:05 into the third period to make the score 2-1 New Hamburg. New Hamburg had gotten the advantage when the Merchants' Jamie Kelly was sent off for boarding. Andrew Boer assisted on the tally.
The Firebirds' offense rang up 34 shots on Norwich's net. New Hamburg's defensemen played an important role in the offense, chipping in two goals. The Firebirds could not stay out of the penalty box, as the team accrued 24 minutes in penalties during the game.
Others who scored for New Hamburg included Brandon Quan and Garrett Pollock, who each put in one. In addition, New Hamburg received assists from Colin Martin, Jerry Ennett, and Carter Tracey, who contributed one each.
The Merchants did not reach the goal total they have come to expect this season. Norwich puts an average of 3.2 pucks into the net per game. The Merchants kept New Hamburg's goalie busy throughout the game, and Topham made 30 saves on 31 shots.
Norwich was led by Daniel Rizzo, who scored the team's only goal. Rizzo scored on the power play 10:20 into the second period to make the score 1-1. A cross checking penalty on Boer had put the Merchants on the power play. Ray Munro picked up the assist.
The Firebirds registered two goals on four power play opportunities. Norwich's Andrew Lefebvre stopped 31 shots out of the 34 that he faced. The Merchants incurred 28 minutes in penalty time with four minors.
