Box Score MIDDLEBURY, VT. -- First-year Josh Burke notched 2 goals an assist Saturday afternoon while sophomore goalie Connor Leslie made 31 saves as the Amherst College men's hockey team concluded the regular season with a 5-0 shutout at Middlebury's Chip Keynon Arena. 

The Mammoths are now 15-5-4 overall and 13-3-0 in conference play. They will host a NESCAC Tournament quarterfinal game Saturday, February 25. Opponent and time TBA.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Ben Ritter's first collegiate goal gave Amherst a 1-0 lead 4:48 into the contest. Tyler Bourque won a face-off to the right of the Panthers' goal and slid it back to the right point, where Ritter collected it, skated to his left into the high slot and let loose with a wrist shot that found the top right corner of the goal for the lead. 

* Two goals in the final 1:48 of the second stanza gave Amherst a comfortable three-goal margin. The Mammoths wet on a power play shortly after Leslie made a strong pad save on a wraparound attempt by a Panther forward. While on the power play, Andrew Carmody  gained possession and spun to his backhand, sliding a pass across the top f Panthers' zone to Greg McGunigle, who passed up a shot to give the puck to Burke in the left face-off circle. Burke weaved his way to the top of the circle close to the slot and fired a shot into the top right corner for a 2-0 lead. 

* With 7 seconds left in the period, Mammoth Zachary Murray won a face-off in the Middlebury zone at the right face-off circle. The puck hit a skate and skittered forward, where Carmody pounced on it and fired a quick shot all in one motion, beating the goalie to the top right on the short side for a 3-0 Amherst advantage. 

* With Middlebury needing a win to secure a postseason berth, the Panthers pulled their goalie mid-way through the third period. Amherst took advantage as Burke took a pass from Quinton Fox, skated to the Middlebury blue line and fired a shot into the empty goal. Fox scored a second empty-netter late in the period to conclude the scoring. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Four of the five Amherst goals were scored by first-years. Carmody notched a goal and assist in the victory, as did Fox. 

* Middlebury outshot the Mammoths by a 31-20 margin. Amherst won 31 of the 53 face-offs in the game, led by Murray, who won 9 of the 13 he drew. 

* Leslie made 12 saves in the second period and 10 in the third en route to his second shutout of the season in seven appearances. He improved to 3-1-1 on the season.