AMHERST, MA - The 14th-ranked Amherst College men's hockey team dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker to visiting ECAC East opponent Salem State College on Saturday. Salem State sophomore Jim Cashins (Quincy, MA) fed classmate Drew Madeiros (Tewksbury, MA) for the game-tying goal, and Madeiros returned the favor for the game-winner as the Vikings improved to 9-5-1 overall and 5-4-0 in conference play. Junior co-captain Beau Kretzman (Edina, MN) had a goal and an assist and first-year defender Brandon Zangel (Highlands Ranch, CO) dished out two assists for the Jeffs, who fell to 8-4-2 overall and 4-4-1 in conference play.

The Vikings took the early lead as sophomore Brian Boike (Arlington, MA) took a feed from classmate Anthony Inverno (Stoneham, MA) at the 4:09-mark, but Amherst junior Bill Jenkins (Edina, MN) evened the score with his first goal of the year. First-year Derek Boudreau (Weymouth, MA) regained the lead for Salem State in the second period, but the Jeffs answered just 23 seconds later as junior Roy Mabrey (Needham, MA) netted a goal off assists from Zangel and senior Chris Norqual (Eden Prairie, MN). The Vikings pushed back ahead on a goal by sophomore Gordon Inverno (Stoneham, MA) and carried their 3-2 lead into the final session.

Kretzman opened the third-period scoring with a short-handed goal at the 2:23-mark, and the Jeffs would take their first lead of the game as junior Scott Aldrich (Wilmington, MA) tallied his fourth goal of the year. However, the lead would be short lived, as Madeiros netted the game-tying goal less than a minute later, and Cashins capped the scoring at the 8:37-mark for the win.

Amherst first-year netminder Dan Smith (Rochester, MN) collected 31 saves in the loss, while first-year goalie Kevin Adam (Peabody, MA) had a matching 31 saves for the Vikings.

Amherst returns to action Friday at 7:45 p.m. at non-conference foe Castleton State College.