CLINTON, NY – The Amherst College men's ice hockey team opened their season with a trip off campus on Friday, Nov 14. Taking on No. 9 ranked Hamilton in on the road in Clinton, a 3-goal second from the hosts put the Mammoths away, and they dropped their first game of the season 5-1.

With the loss, the Mammoths fall to 0-1 on the season while the Continentals start the campaign at 1-0. Amherst has a week to regroup before their next game, taking the ice against NESCAC foe Trinity on the road on Friday, November 21. Puck drop in Hartford against the Bantams is set for 7 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* Amherst started the game on the right foot, recording the game's first 2 shots on net. Hamilton took the momentum from there, notching the next seven shots and forcing three saves from Mammoths' goalie Andrew Palena. The shots just kept coming, though, and Hamilton got on the board first at the 10:06 mark. Hamilton won a faceoff in their offensive zone and fired a cross-ice pass to a wide-open forward for an easy tap in to give the Continentals a 1-0 lead.
 
* The Mammoths fired back immediately, scoring just 30 seconds later. After collecting a puck shoveled into the offensive zone, Oliver Flynn slotted the puck back to an onrushing Matt Vander Vort, who slid the puck into the slot for a wide-open Josh Burke. Burke made no mistake, firing high glove side to tie the game at 1-1.
 
* However, Hamilton got a second goal to finish the period with the lead. A great solo effort from Luke Tchor with 2 minutes gave the home side a 2-1 lead at the first break.
 
* Amherst came out firing again at the beginning of the second period, taking 6 of the period's first 7 shots and putting the Continentals' defense under high pressure. But again, that pressure didn't see them hit paydirt, and Hamilton scored on their first power play of the game, netting with 9:08 before scoring again two minutes later to make it 4-1 heading into the final period.
* The Continentals carried that offensive spark into the third frame, rifling shots at first-year goaltender Vincent Lamberti, who came in off the bench halfway through the second period. The rookie stood tall, though, making 4 saves early in the period.
* Amherst fired back with a run of 6 straight shots, but a power play goal put the game to bed. When the final horn sounded 10 minutes later, the Mammoths had lost their first game of the year, 5-1.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
* The Continentals outshot the Mammoths 59-48 overall, though Amherst held a slim 28-27 edge in shots on goal.

* Hamilton found their momentum on special teams, with Amherst only able to kill off 2 off the Continentals' 4 power plays and were unsuccessful on their only attempt of the day.
 
* Junior goaltender Palena made 13 saves in the Amherst net, while first year Vincent Lamberti recorded 9 stops coming off the bench in his collegiate debut.