ADRIAN, Mich. - St. Norbert College couldn't dig out of an early hole and lost the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup Playoffs championship game 12-3 to Adrian College at Arrington Ice Arena.

St. Norbert (23-6) is expected to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament, with the bracket announcement set for 9 a.m. Monday at NCAA.com. First-round games in the tournament are scheduled for Saturday, March 12.

Adrian (28-1) scored three goals in the first 6:13 to take a 3-0 lead, but St. Norbert answered at 6:37 with an unassisted goal by Michael McChesney, his 11th of the season. The Bulldogs would score again at 8:19 to take a 4-1 lead, but Liam Fraser scored his 23rd goal of the season with a goal at 8:45. That flurry of goals that had Adrian leading 4-2 carried into first intermission.

The Bulldogs scored four goals in the first 10:09 of the second period to take an 8-1 lead. Peter Bates scored shorthanded for his Division III-leading 28th goal of the year at 13:38, but Adrian would get two more goals before second intermission to lead 10-3.

Adrian scored twice in the third period to close out the scoring.

Bates had an assist for a two-point game, St. Norbert's only multi-point game. Bates and Fraser were named to the Harris Cup Playoffs All-Tournament Team.

Adrian outshot St. Norbert 35-23. Colby Entz and Johnny Roberts combined for 23 saves for the Green Knights, while Cameron Gray made 20 saves for Adrian.

St. Norbert was 0-for-6 on the power play, while Adrian was 2-for-3.