Norwich, rated as Division III's top team for much of the year, used Marc Bellemare's goal midway in the third period to defeat St. Thomas (Minnesota), 2-1, in the Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship game March 18 at Wisconsin-Superior.

"It doesn't get any better than this," said Cadets coach Mike McShane. "When I recruited these seniors, I told them I was getting them to win a national championship. I know every coach says this but this time, it came true."

With the game tied, 1-1, Bellemare fired a 20-footer that hit St. Thomas goalie Brad Moore and rolled into the net. The Tommies pulled Moore in the final minute but didn't get a good chance at Norwich freshman goalie Randy Hevey.

The scoring started in the second period when St. Thomas' Andy Disch was called for interference. Norwich forward Jim Nagle picked the rebound of Tim Krykostas' shot out of midair and knocked it past Moore at 3:59 for a 1-0 lead. The Cadets, aided by three power plays, carried the play in the period, outshooting the Tommies, 12-10, but went to the locker room with the 1-0 lead.

Steve Aronson, the top scorer in Division III, finally got the Tommies on the board when he found Disch in front of Hevey for a power-play goal at 2:51 of the third period.

It was the first NCAA title in any sport for Norwich. It also was St. Thomas' first appearance in an NCAA ice hockey title game, and the first appearance by a team from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the championship game. St. Thomas finished the season 27-4-2.

In the semifinals, Norwich defeated Wisconsin-Superior, 5-4 in a wild overtime thriller, while St. Thomas blasted Plattsburgh State 7-1. Plattsburgh State won the third-place game, 2-0.

The Cadets (29-2-1), who ended the season on a 23-game unbeaten streak, snapped a string of five straight titles for Middlebury. Middlebury lost in the quarterfinals to Plattsburgh State.

CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMARY

Quarterfinals

March 10: Norwich 4, Rochester Inst. 1; Wis.-Superior 3, Concordia-M'head 2; St. Thomas (Minn.) 6, Wentworth Inst. 0; Middlebury 1, Plattsburgh St. 1.

March 11: Norwich 5, Rochester Inst. 1; Wis.-Superior 4, Concordia-M'head 1; St. Thomas (Minn.) 10, Wentworth Inst. 3; Middlebury 4, Plattsburgh St. 4 (Plattsburgh St. wins minigame, 1-0).

SEMIFINALS

Norwich 5, Wis.-Superior 4 (ot)

First period: WS -- Kris Wilson (Bryan Grycan), 0:49; N -- Tim Kyrkostas (Keith Maurice, Jim Nagle), 5:15; N -- Casey Beaulac (Greg Ducluzeau), 8:13; WS -- Jay Stewart (Iuan Prokic), 11:25 (pp); WS -- Tim Walsh (Prokic, Randy Barker), 11:47. Penalties: WS -- Walsh (cross-checking); N -- Kyrkostas (high-sticking); N -- Nagle (hooking); N -- Jason Lumsden (high-sticking), 15:08.

Second period: WS -- Chris Hackett (Kevin Paschal, Clint Johnson), 5:07. Penalties: WS -- Chris Bell (roughing), 2:57; N -- Beaulac (roughing), 2:57; WS -- Eric Pitoscia (slashing), 10:02; N -- Bryce Herperger (cross-checking), 14:08; WS -- Wilson (roughing), 14:39; N -- Jason Lumsden (holding), 14:39; N -- Beaulac (roughing), 19:39; N -- Herperger (roughing) 19:39; N -- Toza Crnilovic (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:39; WS -- Wilson (roughing); WS -- Allen Hasbargen (roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:39.

Third period: N -- Keith Aucoin (Crnicovic), 3:46; N -- Marshall Lee (Keith Maurice, Michael Ludwar), 4:51. Penalties: N -- Jon Bockelmann (tripping), 14:08.

Overtime: N -- Beaulac (Nagel, Maurice), 8:44. Penalities -- None.

Shots on goal: Wis.-Superior 10-9-4-5-28; Norwich 15-11-9-4-39. Saves: WS -- Tom Pink 34; N -- Randy Hevey 24. Penalties: WS -- 7 for 14; N -- 10 for 20. Referee: Jim Von Wald; Assistant Referees: Edward Zapeda, Chris Perrault. Attendance: 2,134.

St. Thomas (Minn.) 7, Plattsburgh St. 1

First period: ST -- Steve Aronson (unassisted), 7:24 (sh); ST -- Andy Disch (Aronson, Brian Role), 13:00 (pp); ST -- Aronson (Role, Brian Skrypek), 19:06. Penalties: S T-- Luke Volk (interference), 6:31; PS -- Peter Ollari (interference), 8:23; PS -- Sean Chaytors (holding), 11:52; ST -- Ryan Francis (hooking), 13:50.

Second period: ST -- Eric Wenkus (Ryan Francis, Brian Skrypek), 1:07; ST -- Francis (Matt Caven, Nick Oprish), 10:51; ST -- Oprish (Aronson, Role), 12:50 (pp). Penalties: ST -- Wenkus (hooking), 4:35; PS -- Brian Toussaint (slashing), 11:53; ST -- Mike McMahon (holding) 14:17.

Third period: PS -- Bryan Murray (Jeff Paluseo, Eric Seidel), 4:05; ST -- Brad Bonine (Luke Volk), 15:24. Penalties: ST -- Brian Waldo (roughing), 7:42; PS -- Joe Dolci (roughing), 7:42; ST -- Waldo (roughing), 12:36; PS -- Brendon Hodge (roughing), 12:36; ST -- Waldo (cross-checking), 12:36; PS -- Peter Ollari (slashing), 19:34.

Shots on goal: St. Thomas (Minn.) 10-12-8-30; Plattsburgh St. 7-4-10-21. Saves: ST -- Brad Moore 20; PS -- Niklas Sundrerg 7, Brad Erbsland 16. Penalties: ST -- 7 for 14 min.; PS -- 6 for 12 min. Referee: Jon Elvy; Assistant Referees: Jon Campion, Patrick Carey. Attendance: 2,134.

THIRD PLACE

Plattsburgh St. 2, Wis.-Superior 0

First period: None. Penalties: PS-- Eric Seidel (double-minor, roughing), 0:23; WS -- Chris Bell (double-minor, roughing), 0:23; WS -- Nate Cockerham (boarding), 2:19; PS -- Bryan Murray (cross-checking), 13:45; WS -- Kris Wilson (slashing minor and misconduct), 18:50.

Second period: None. Penalties: PS -- Peter Ollari (slashing), 5:25; PS -- Mike Daoust (interference), 7:39.

Third period: PS -- Brian Toussaint (Murray, Mark Coletta), 8:30; PS -- Toussaint (Coletta, Ollari), 19:33 (en). Penalties: PS -- Murray (interference) 5:20; WS -- Jay Stewart (hooking), 6:21; PS -- Daoust (holding), 9:46; PS -- Murray (hooking), 12:10; PS -- Bobby Owen (tripping), 14:14; WS -- Ivan Prokic (interference), 15:40.

Shots on goal: Plattsburgh St. 14-13-13-40; Wis.-Superior 14-17-12-43. Saves: PS -- Brad Erbsland 43; WS -- Tom Pink 38. Penalties: PS -- 8 for 16 min.; WS -- 6 for 20 min. Referee: Jon Elvy; Assistant Referees: Jon Campion, Patrick Carey. Attendance: 1,230.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Norwich 2, St. Thomas (Minn.) 1

First period: None. Penalties: ST -- Steve Aronson (roughing), 12:45; N -- Shane Combres (charging), 15:36; N -- Marshall Lee (slashing), 18:19; ST -- Joe Melquist (roughing), 18:52; N -- Jason Lumsden (roughing), 18:52.

Second period: N -- Jim Nagle (Tim Kyrkostas, Casey Beaulac), 3:59 (pp). Penalties: ST -- Andy Disch (interference), 2:50; ST -- Nick Oprish (high-sticking), 7:08; S -- Brad Bonine (roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:26; N -- Lee (roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:26; ST -- Disch (slashing), 18:42.

Third period: S -- Disch (Tom Skrypek, Aronson), 2:51 (pp); N -- Bellemare (Michael Ludwar), 10:51. Penalties: N -- Greg Ducluzeau (tripping), N -- Lumsden (tripping), 2:24; N -- Toza Crnilovic (holding), 9:08; ST -- Aronson (roughing), 9:08.

Shots on goal: Norwich 11-12-6-29; St. Thomas (Minn.) 10-10-10-30. Saves: N -- Randy Hevey 29; ST -- Brad Moore 27. Penalties: N -- 7 for 16 min.; ST -- 7 for 16 min. Referee: Jim Von Wald; Assistant Referees: Edward Zepeda, Chris Perrault. Attendance: 1,147.