AMHERST, Mass. -- A hard-fought defensive battle was decided by three third-period goals for the #5-ranked Amherst College women's hockey team, which ultimately defeated conference foe Trinity, 3-1, at Orr Rink, for its 10th consecutive victory Saturday. 

The Mammoths stand atop the conference standings with a 11-1-0 overall record and a 5-1-0 record in the NESCAC. They face the fellow leaders of the conference from Connecticut College, at home Friday night at 7 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* After narrowly defeating Trinity 2-1 Friday night, both teams came out fighting for every inch on the ice and playing to a scoreless tie after the first two periods. Amherst first year goalie Natalie Stott made 13 saves over the first two stanzas to keep the game scoreless from the home side. 

* Just 2:47 into the third period, senior Kate Pohl raced up the left side, beat a Bantam defender as she skated through the left circle and on to the goal and tried to flip a backhand past Trinity goalie Hannah Leclair. Pohl's initial shot was stopped but the rebound not controlled. It appeared Maeve Reynolds got off a shot that was stopped and that puck got back to Pohl, who somehow poked it past Leclair and a few defenders and teammates to put Amherst on the board. 

* Just under four minutes later the Mammoths doubled up their lead. Anna Baxter won the puck in her own zone and flicked a pass off the boards to Alyssa Xu, who also raced ahead on the left side and found herself deep in the bantams' zone with an opportunity to pass or shot. She slid a beautiful pass across the slot from left to right as an onrushing Leslie Schwartz crashed the net at the far right post timing her arrival perfectly with Xu's pass to bury a shot into the empty lower right side. 

* Trinity would not go away, getting a goal from Ava Gosnell with 5:04 left to cut its deficit to one. With 2:13 remaining, the Bantams pulled Leclair for an extra skater. It nearly paid off, but Stott came up huge, sliding to her right to snuff out a close-range chance from Bantam Jenny Guider. 

* Moments later it was 3-1 as Rylee Glennon fought hard to win the puck in the Bantams' zone and then firing a shot from the left boards into an empty net with 44 seconds remaining to clinch the win. 



BY THE NUMBERS: 

* Baxter had two assists in the win, and 10 of the 17 face-offs she took in the win. The Mammoths won 28 of 54 face-offs as a team.

* Amherst was 0 for 4 on the power play, although it did score just seconds after one expired in the third period. Trinity was 0 for 2 with a skater up 

* Amherst finished with a 32-20 advantage in shots. Stott finished with 19 saves.