ADRIAN – The St. Norbert College men’s hockey team couldn’t dig out of an early hole and lost the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Harris Cup Playoffs championship game March 5 to Adrian College, 12-3.

Despite the loss, St. Norbert (23-6) earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament and will play at 7 p.m. against St. Olaf College in a first-round game Saturday, March 12, at the Cornerstone Community Ice Center in Ashwaubenon.

Adrian (28-1) scored three goals in the first 6:13 to take a 3-0 lead, but the Green Knights answered at 6:37 with an unassisted goal by Michael McChesney, his 11th of the season.

The Bulldogs took a 4-1 lead before Liam Fraser scored his 23rd goal of the season at the 8:45 mark.

Adrian then scored four goals in the first 10:09 of the second period for an 8-1 lead.

St. Norbert’s Peter Bates scored shorthanded for his Division III-leading 28th goal of the year at 13:38, but Adrian scored two more goals before the second intermission to lead 10-3.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the third period to close the scoring.

Bates and Fraser were named to the Harris Cup Playoffs All-Tournament Team.

Adrian outshot the Green Knights, 35-23.

St. Norbert was 0-for-6 on the power play.