AMHERST, Mass. -- The Amherst College men's hockey team killed off four power plays over the final period -- including a 6-on-3 for 15 seconds - en route to a season-opening 3-1 win over NESCAC rival Hamilton at Orr Rink Saturday night. 

Amherst is 1-0-0 heading into a game at Saint Michael's Tuesday. The puck drop is at 4 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths got on the board with 13:29 left in the first period when Ryan Tucker received a pass from Evan Lichman deep in the corner and quickly slid a pass out to the left circle, where Michael Pitts was waiting to one-time a wrist shot over the shoulder of Continental goalie Charlie Archer and into the top shelf on the short side. 

* Amherst made it 2-0 with 4:42 left in the period. Hamilton won a face-off to the left of its goal, but a defender whiffed on a wrap-around the boards clear attempt. Mammoth Quinton Fox picked up the errant puck and quickly shuffled a backhand pass out to first-year Josh Burke, who one-timed a shot from the slot into the lower right-hand corner of the goal.

* Amherst had a couple of power-play opportunities late in the frame but could not generate another goal. 

* Mammoth keeper Alex Wisco came up with 15 saves in the first two periods to keep Hamilton off the boards and the Mammoth lead intact, but only 1:19 into the third period, Hamilton's Carson Hall made it a 2-1 game. 

* Amherst penalty-kill units did an outstanding job keeping the Mammoths in the lead, killing off four man-up opportunities for the Continentals, including the aforementioned 6-on-3 chance with the Hamilton goalie off the ice.

*Tyler Bourque sealed the deal with an empty-net goal with just one second remaining in the game to account for the 3-1 margin of victory. 

BY THE NUMBERS: 

* Wisco finished with 20 saves, while Charlie Archer made 28 for Hamilton. 

*  Amherst outshot Hamilton, 31-21, in the game. 

* The Mammoths won 35 of 62 face-offs, helped by Matt Toporowski, who won 12 of the 15 he took.