AMHERST, MA. – A stellar game from senior goaltender Connor Leslie and a game-winner from Matt Vander Vort delivered the Amherst College men's ice hockey team to their first conference win and their third victory in four games on Friday, Dec. 6. Returning to NESCAC play on home ice at Orr Rink against Middlebury, the Mammoths downed the Panthers 4-1. 

With the win the Mammoths improve to 3-3-1, while Middlebury falls to 4-3 this season. Amherst will play their final game before the holiday break in less than 24 hours, continuing NESCAC play when they face bitter rival Williams on Saturday, Dec. 7 at home. Puck drop versus the Ephs is scheduled for 3 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* The game was open from the start, with both teams getting chances early. The best early opportunity came just over two minutes into the contest, with Leslie making a huge stop on a breakaway to keep the game level. It took another six minutes for the game to get its first goal, as a Middlebury defenseman's blocked shot turned into an odd-man rush for the Panthers that was passed into the left-slot and put away to give the away side a 1-0 lead.
 
* The Mammoths responded with a vengeance, tying the game at 1-1 just 59 seconds later. Captain Ben Kuzma collected a loose puck in the right corner and skated toward the net with a defender on his shoulder. The senior did well to keep the puck, sliding it to his backhand to beat the goaltender on the near post before flipping the puck into the empty far side of the net. Leslie again came up big multiple times in the period's final few minutes to keep the score level heading into the second frame.
 
* Amherst came out of the locker room hard and took the lead at the 5:23 mark in the second period. After getting out of a pin in the right corner, Vincent Velocci sent the puck across ice to Max Thiessen at the opposite blue line. Thiessen fired a low shot toward the net that was tipped in front by Matt Vander Vort past the Panther goalie to give the Mammoths a 2-1 advantage.
 
* The second period was not without its dangers for the Mammoths, however, as they had to kill off a five-on-three after a controversial call. They did so successfully, and just over a minute later it swung the momentum completely by netting to make it 3-1. After a successful backcheck by Thiessen, the defensemen hit Matt Toporowski in stride at the Middlebury blue line. Toporowski found Bobby Luca trailing the play, and the captain flipped the puck to his backhand and beat the Panther goalie with just 21.6 seconds left in the period.
 
* Just 2:53 into the third period, the Mammoths hit paydirt once again. After a good forecheck by Ryan Corcoran, Oscar Smink shoveled the puck to Ben Cook waiting at the blue line. The first-year hit a rocket from the point that beat the Middlebury goalie low-stick side for a three-goal lead. That margin would stand for the rest of the game, with Amherst earning a 4-1 win.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
 
* Amherst led in shots on goal 28-23, and in shots overall at 53-49. This was their sixth straight game doing so.

* Ben Cook extended his point streak to two games with his first collegiate goal against the Panthers. Toporowski extended his own point streak to 4 games with his assist on Luca's goal.
 
* Leslie made 22 saves in the win.