ATERVILLE, Me. -- Two goals in the opening 45 seconds of play Sunday helped the Amherst College women's hockey team knock off Colby, 4-1, at Alfond Rink.

Carley Daly scored twice while Kate Pohl had a goal and an assist in the victory. Amherst solidified its third-place position in the final regular-season conference standings, improving to 12-8-2 overall and 8-6-2 in conference play. Colby fell to 15-4-1 overall and 11-4-1 in the NESCAC.

Amherst will be home for a NESCAC Tournament quarterfinal Saturday, February 26th. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Amherst scored off the game's opening face-off. Stephanie Nomicoss picked up the draw and at center ice, backhanded a pass up to Pohl, who skated into the Colby zone and flung a pass toward Daly in the slot. Daly put her stick on the puck, re-directing it into the air past Mule goalie Madi Aumann a mere nine seconds into the contest. 

* After Colby tied the game 52 seconds later, it took the Mammoths only 44 seconds to re-take the lead. As a Colby defender gained possession in her own zone facing her goal, Alyssa Xu snuck upo behind her and stole the puck, breaking in alone on Aumann and s lipping a shot underneath the netminder as she went down to block a shot. 

* That was the scoring until 3:38 remained in the game. Daly intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and broke into the Colby zone with Angelina Wiater. She slid a pass to her left that Wiater flipped to her backhand, only to have Aumann slide over to block her shot at the left post. The puck bounded behind the goal but Wiater stayed with it, chasing it down and flipping it back into the slot, where it glanced off a Mule's skate right to the tape of Pohl, who lifted a shot into a mostly open goal for a 3-1 lead. 

* Daly concluded the scoring with 1:30 left after Avery Flynn gained possession in the Mammoths' zone, slid a pass to Pohl, who then flipped it along the left boards. Daly skated onto it at center ice and skated into the Colby zone, sliding the puck into the unattended net. 



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Both teams scored on the first shot taken for their side in the game. 

* Amherst held a 38-26 advantage in shots, outshooting the Mules in every period. 

* Mammoth senior goalie Caitlin Walker stopped 25 of the 26 shots she faced in the victory. 

* Amherst did not commit a penalty in the contest., The Mammoths went 0 for 3 on the power play.