Ephs build four goal lead, hold on for 4-3 victory over Hamilton
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass - The Williams College men’s hockey
team scored four goals in a 8:06 span in the first period, before
holding off Hamilton College 4-3 Friday. The win sets the
Ephs (9-10-4) up for a chance at .500 tomorrow afternoon in the
regular season finale against archrival Amherst college. The loss
marks the fourth out of the last seven contests for the
Continentals (5-17-1) - a relative hot streak in a disappointing
season.
The Ephs got four goals and four assists from eight different
players, en route to converting four out of eleven shots in the
first period. The Continentals out shot the Ephs 42-19 in the game,
and committed only five penalties to the Ephs nine. However, a
stellar Eph defense propped up the opportunistic offense.
Eph goaltender Rick Redmond, coming off his 15 save relief effort
in last weeks loss to Babson, continued to look solid in only his
third start of the season, making several sensational stops en
route to recording 42 saves.
Steve Bruch, Ryan Young, Matt Dreiheim, and Will
Bruce would each tally goals as the Ephs netted a season
high four scores in the first period. The goals were scored over
the course of the games first 15:31 with Dreiheim’s twenty
yard slapshot only 12:37 in marking the highlight of the bunch.
Hamilton bounced back in the second period, getting goals from Ryan
Guerin and Joe Buteau to cut the lead to a more realistic 4-2 going
into the third and final period.
The final period was the most balanced of the game, as each team
produced chances and maintained possession. However, the
Continentals eventually pulled within one with only 7:57 remaining
when Chris Lorenc converted a ricochet, setting the stage for the
games hotly contested finale.
Despite ferocious pressure from Hamilton, the Ephs were able to
hold them at bay and preserve the win at 4-3.
For the Ephs, it didn’t always look pretty they’ll take
it.
“Its good to get our first true NESCAC win.” remarked
Eph coach Bill Kangas, “We give Hamilton a lot of credit,
they really clawed back and fought hard.”
The sloppy win sets up a dramatic showdown with perennial rival
Amherst (12-7-3). The Lord Jeffs enter tomorrows matchup coming off
a close 4-2 defeat at Middlebury and will be looking to get back on
track in a game that could have serious NESCAC tournament
implications. The Game is scheduled for 4:00 PM at Lansing Chapman
Rink.
