Courtesty of Hamilton Sports Information
CLINTON, N.Y. - Johnny Van Siclen '13 (Carlisle, Mass.) recorded his second hat trick of the season to help power the sixth-ranked Amherst men's hockey team past Hamilton, 5-1.
In the midst of a crucial nine-game road trip, Amherst improved to 12-2-1 overall and 9-1-0 in conference play, having gone 4-1-1 over its last six games away from Orr Rink. Hamilton fell to 7-7-1 (3-7-0 NESCAC) after suffering its second consecutive loss.
The Lord Jeffs, who are 4-0-1 in their last five meetings against the Continentals, held a 37-27 shot advantage, including a 13-7 edge during a three-goal second period. Amherst finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while holding Hamilton to a 1-for-3 clip on the man-up advantage.
Senior Jonathan La Rose (Boyle, Alberta) made 26 saves to improve to 8-1-1 on the year, while sophomore counterpart Joseph Quattrocchi made 32 stops in the loss.
Hoping to get the Jeffs off to a fast start, Van Siclen netted a power play goal just 9:27 into the first period when Aaron Deutsch '15 (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.) played the puck up the left side to Jamie Hawkrigg '13 (Waterdown, Ontario), who fed a pass across the goal to Van Siclen for a one-timer past Quattrochi.
Still up by a goal early in the second, sophomore forward Andrew Kurlandski (Kirkwood, Mo.) added to the Lord Jeff lead at 5:05. Eddie Effinger '12 (Belleville, Ill.) got the play started with a pass to Mike Rowbotham '15 (Stittsville, Ontario) outside the left circle. Rowbotham in turn found Kurlandski, who snapped a wrist shot into the back of the net for his third goal of the year.
Hamilton's Anthony Ruberto responded with a power-play goal just 2:40 later, cutting the Amherst lead to 2-1, but Kurlandski netted his second score of the night to once again extend the Lord Jeff margin. After collecting a pass from Rowbotham, Kurlandski skated across the blue line and fired a slap shot from the left point that snuck inside the near post.
With time winding down in the second period, Van Siclen padded the Amherst lead, notching his eighth goal of the year at the 18:22 mark after winning a faceoff and firing a shot from the right circle into the Hamilton goal.
Scoreless for much of the third, Van Siclen put the wraps on his second hat trick of 2011-12, closing out scoring with a goal just 18 seconds before the end of regulation.
Van Siclen leads the team with nine goals and is tied for the team lead with 15 points. Kurlandski chipped in two goals and an assist for the Lord Jeffs, while Rowbotham added a pair of helpers.
Ruberto scored his fifth goal for the Continentals, while BJ Lalonde '12 and Anthony Scarpino '12 each tallied an assist.
Amherst returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Utica.
