AMHERST, MA. – With the season is nearing its end, every game is crucial, and the Amherst College men's ice hockey team came into the game seeking a crucial victory against Connecticut College on Friday, Feb 14. Taking on a Camels team who they beat 3-1 earlier this season, the Mammoths fell victim to a slow start, surrendering two goals early and falling to 3-0.

With the loss, Amherst moves to 8-11-2, while Conn. College improves to 8-12-1 overall. Tomorrow, the Mammoths will play their last home game of the regular season looking to get back in the win column, facing Tufts on Saturday, February 15. It is also the Mammoths' Senior day, and the team's class of 2025 will be honored in a pregame ceremony beginning about 10 minutes before game time. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* The Mammoths found themselves on the back foot early, conceding just 2:25 into the contest. The Camels rushed the puck out of their zone and fired an early shot from the right on a two-on-two opportunity. Though Connor Leslie made the initial save, the rebound fell right to the shooter, who laid the puck across the net for a wide-open teammate for the 1-0 lead.
 
* The Camels made it two five minutes later in controversial fashion. Conn. worked the puck around and into the high slot, where a shot was fired on net. Leslie sprawled to stop it from crossing the line, and with the puck under his body, it was unclear whether it had crossed the line. After much discussion, the referees awarded the goal put Amherst in a two-goal hole at the 7:30 mark.
 
* The second period was defined by penalties for both teams, but the Mammoths spent much of that time shorthanded. They almost pulled one back at around the five-minute mark in the frame, but the puck was poke-checked off Ryan Corcoran's stick just before he could shoot on his shorthanded breakaway opportunity. They again saw a shorthanded chance thwarted when a faceoff win slid to Josh Burke, who skated on net and fired a pass across to Zachary Murray that was barely kept out by the Camels' goalie.
 
*  The 2-0 scoreline heading into an all-important third period. Led by strong goaltending from Leslie, who made multiple saves, including one with 13 minutes to go on a breakaway chance, the Mammoths staved off Conn.'s attempts to ice the game.
 
* In the meantime, Amherst turned up the heat on the Camels' defense, forcing multiple acrobatic saves out of the opposing goaltender in the game's final five minutes. However, they were unable to convert on any of their opportunities, and an empty-net tally from Conn. with 2:04 to go sealed a 3-0 defeat for the Mammoths.
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
 
* The Mammoths nearly doubled up the Camels in shots, 75-42 and led 35-24 in shots on goal. Ben Kuzma and Matt Toporowski led the offensive effort with five shots on goal apiece.
 
* Amherst's struggles at the dot continued Friday, losing the faceoff battle 31-40 (44.2 percent).
 
* Leslie made 21 saves in the loss.