CLINTON, NY – Alyssa Xu's goal with 3:09 remaining in overtime Saturday lifted 2nd-ranked Amherst women's hockey to a 2-1 win over Hamilton in both team's season openers Saturday at Sage Rink.

Amherst (1-0) will play the Continentals again on Sunday with the game slated to begin at 3 p.m.

Saturday's game was a rematch of the 2022-23 NCAA Div. 3 tournament national semifinal. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths had an early opportunity just 6:53 into the game when some strong forechecking led to a scoring chance for first-year Clare O'Connor, but her shot from the  point sailed just high. 

* The Mammoths went on the power-play early in the second period and again good work allowed them to keep the puck in the Hamilton zone and continue to fire shots at Hamilton goalie Teagan Brown. Mary Thompson slipped a shot into the slot from the blue line that Alejandra Ubarri re-directed along the ice but was stick aside. Ubarri chased her own rebound into the corner, spun back through the face-off circle and slid a pass to Thompson, who one-time a high shot that dipped into the top left-hand corner of the goal. 

* In the second period, 4:07 in, the Continentals make a long pass to a speedy winger, but Kelsey Stewart intercepted the puck and got some help from Maggie Groszek who was able to clear the puck. 

* At the end of the second period, with the Mammoths up 1-0 but on the penalty kill, Natalie Stott made a beautiful left pad save on Bobbi Rocca, who had a pointblank range on goal from the lower left-circle with just one second remaining. Hamilton put in a second rebound shot, but it was ruled the game clock had expired.

* Just 49 seconds into the third frame, Hamilton tied it up while on a 5-on-3 power play.  

* Hamilton controlled possession early in the 3-on-3 overtime. But Jayna Park made a great play in the Amherst zone to break up a rush and moments later Maeve Reynolds gathered the puck at the Hamilton blue line, spun to her left and crossed the line along with Xu on a 2-on-1 break. Reynolds found Xu in stride in the slot and the junior slid a shot by Taylor to end the contest with 3:09 remaining. 

BY THE NUMBERS 

Amherst out shot Hamilton 21-17.

The Mammoths won 38 out of 58 face-offs, as Maeve Reynolds won 16, and Anna Baxter 15. 

Natalie Stott stopped 16 out of 17 shots made by the Continentals 

Amherst went 1-4 on the power play, whereas Hamilton went 1 for 3. Amherst was penalized 3 times.