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Date: February 18, 2005
Contact: Bill Sodoma

 

COLBY MEN'S HOCKEY FALLS TO AMHERST, 4-3

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Colby College men's hockey team will have a lot riding on Saturday's game at Hamilton College after a 4-3 loss at Amherst College on Friday night.

The Mules (14-7-1, 12-6) are in fourth place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference heading into the final regular season game Saturday. Colby could still finish as high as second place in the league standings with a win and some help from other teams, but the Mules could also fall out of the top four with a loss. The top four teams in the standings will host quarterfinal games next Saturday.

Four different players found the net for Amherst, and sophomore netminder Josh Fillman (Charlestown, Mass.) posted 33 saves as the Jeffs improved to 12-9-2 overall and 10-6-2 in conference play.

Colby dominated possession throughout the game, outshooting the Jeffs 36-16, but Fillman was outstanding, posting a perfect 10-for-10 performance in the first frame and stopping 14-of-15 shots in the final period.

After a scoreless opening session, the Mules broke the stalemate just over a minute into the second as first-year T.J. Kelley (Ridgefield, Conn.) converted a long pass for a 1-0 edge. Colby rookie Jason Weigel (Madison, Wisc.) pushed the lead to 2-0 at the 6:24-mark, taking a dump-off from Kelley and launching it into the upper right corner.

The Jeffs got on the board just under 14 minutes into the second as first-year Kyle Schoppel (Cambridge, Ontario) led a 2-on-1 breakaway and sent a pretty backhanded dish to sophomore defenseman Brandon Zangel (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) for the score. Amherst senior Scott Aldrich (Wilmington, Mass.) knotted the count with 1:25 left in the period, gathering the puck in front of the net and firing it high glove side, and the Jeffs took their first lead of the game just 28 seconds later as junior A.J. Greco (Williamsville, N.Y.) slipped a sweet feed through the crease to wide-open classmate Jack Greeley (Scituate, Mass.) on the backside.

First-year Michael McIntosh (Soldotna, Alaska), who also finished with a pair of assists on the night, netted the eventual game-winner 12:30 into the final frame, finishing off a 3-on-1 rush with a power-play score to give the Jeffs a 4-2 advantage. Colby pulled back within one near the four-minute mark as junior Jake Bayley (Cambridge, Ontario) caught a rebound and backhanded it left side, but the Amherst defense held on down the stretch for the victory.

Colby sophomore Ben Grandjean (Waterford, Conn.) posted 12 saves in defeat.