AMHERST, Mass. – First-year Max Roche scored the game-winner with 5:55 to play in the second stanza to lift the Amherst College men's ice hockey team past Colby College, 2-1, in Saturday afternoon's NESCAC tilt.

RECORDS

Colby (7-9-4, 4-8-2 NESCAC)
Amherst (7-9-4, 5-6-3 NESCAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Amherst and Colby finished the first period in a 1-1 deadlock, with each side putting eight shots apiece on target.
• Roche scored what turned out to be the game-winner with 5:55 to play in the second stanza. The score was the first goal of his collegiate career.
• Both Amherst and the Mules finished 0-for-3 on man-up opportunities.
• Connor Girard '18 (2-6-0) registered 23 saves for Amherst in the victory, while Emerson Verrier (7-9-4) made 26 stops in between the pipes for the Mules. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Amherst was first to strike, taking a 1-0 lead at the 6:17 mark in the opening period. Cutting across the offensive blueline to intercept a breakout pass by the Colby defense, David White '18 dished a pass to a wide-open Will Vosejpka '18 in the slot who rifled a backhander past Verrier.
• The Mules evened the contest at 1-1 less than five minutes later as Jonathan Sdao tipped a slap shot from Alex Walsh on the right point past the Amherst net minder.
• Jack Fitzgerald '19 nearly added another score with 8:10 on the clock in the second stanza as Verrier made a stellar glove save on the shot from point blank range.
• The Purple & White threatened again a minute later as White sent a shot from the right face off dot off the crossbar.
• Amherst finally broke through to take a 2-1 lead at the 5:55 mark in the second period. Corralling a pass from Kevin Ryder '16 behind the net, first-year Max Roche sent a wrap-around shot off of Verrier and into the net.
• Girard made two clutch saves for the Purple & White in the final period, narrowly turning away a shot from Zack Hale with 2:22 to play in the stanza and coming out to the top of the crease to blank Devin Albert with four seconds on the clock.
• Playing until the final buzzer, Kai Frankville had Colby's final opportunity of the matchup, sending the puck over the goal line less than a second after the scoreboard struck zero. Upon review it was ruled to have entered the goal after the buzzer.
• Fitzgerald led all skaters with six shots on goal, while Cam MacDonald put a team-high four shots on net for Colby.
• Amherst held a 28-24 edge in shots. 

UP NEXT

• Colby returns home to play Trinity College on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
• Amherst hits the ice for a conference matchup at Orr Rink against Tufts University on Saturday, Feb. 13 beginning at 7 p.m.