Throwback Thursday: Middlebury/Norwich Rivalry

 

Green Mountain state foes Norwich and Middlebury have one of the oldest rivalries in Division III hockey, facing off on 145 occassions all-time. The Panthers hold a 80-58-7 advantage in the series, but the Cadets have had the last - or at least most recent - laugh, going 5-0-1 in the past six meetings. 

In 1998, the rivalry expanded to include the Primelink Great Northern ShootOut, an annual Thanksgiving weekend tournament featuring a core of Norwich, Middlebury, SUNY Plattsburgh and a fourth invitational team. The Cadets and Panthers have faced off in the tournament finals five times, with Middlebury taking the crown in 1998 and 2008 and Norwich winning in 2001,2004(shootout) and most recently in 2012. Overall, the Cadets have eight Primelink trophies and the Panthers have four.

This four minute video - set to the 1984 hit song "Live is Life" by Austrian pop-rock group Opus -  has highlights of the 2008 Primelink finals between Norwich and Middlebury at Kenyon Arena in Middlebury, VT. In the semifinals, the Cadets defeated Plattsburgh 3-3 in a shootout and the Panthers beat Minnesota's St. Thomas 5-3. 

After Norwich tied the game at two on a power play goal midway through the third, Middlebury's Mason Graddock scored the 3-2 game winning power play goal with just under three minutes to play. The primary assist went to then freshman defender Tucker Donahoe, brother of current Panther and 2012-13 Second Team All-NESCAC blueliner Robbie Donahoe. The brothers spent two years together in Vermont, before Tucker played one game of professional hockey in the ECHL for the Reading Royals on an ATO after his senior season in 2012. Robbie will be a senior on Bill Beaney's squad in the 2013-14 season. 

Read More: Primelink Great Northern Shootout 

Watch: YouTube - - Middlebury Norwich Hockey 11-29-08 Final