WATERVILLE, ME – A goal and an assist from Oliver Flynn sealed an all-important NESCAC win for the men's ice hockey team on Friday, Feb. 6. Taking the trip to Maine face the Mules for the second time after falling in a shootout earlier in the season, the Mammoths looked to bounce back after a tough loss in their last NESCAC contest. In a back-and-forth affair, Amherst seized the lead late in the third and put away an empty-net insurance goal to down the Mules 4-2.

With the win, the Mammoths improve to 10-7-2 on the year while the Mules drop to 9-8-2. Amherst is right back in action tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 7, completing their trip north with a game at Bowdoin. The Mammoths will face the Polar Bears looking to win their second matchup of the season. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* Amherst got on the board first, striking first with a relentless forecheck. Carson Baylis won the puck back in their own offensive zone, poke checking a pass up in the air into the body on an onrushing Oscar Smink. Smink beat his defender some slick stick-handing and threw a shot on net. Though his initial shot was saved, Baylis followed the play, putting in the rebound to give his team the lead.

* Colby got the goal back less than two minutes later though, as the Mules got pressure of their own and took the puck back behind the net. Colby forward Colby Browne got the steal, circled around the net to his left, skated to the center of the faceoff circle, and fired a shot to the top right corner to even the game at 1-1.

* That is how the score would stay until just under five minutes remained in the second period. The play started with a great block by Flynn, with the puck sliding to Magnus Gadowski. The sophomore skated in on the rush, passing to Vincent Velocci on his right and putting himself in screening position in the low slot. Velocci returned to the puck to Gadowski, who received it with his back to the net, spun to his left and scored a wrister to make it 2-1.

* Colby again tied the game, this time 8:50 into the third period. The Mules broke out of their D-zone, with an odd-man rush putting Amherst on the back foot. Browne got his second of the game, shooting from the high slot to the top right corner once again to move the score to 2-2.

* Undeterred, the Mammoths grabbed the lead for the third time four minutes later. This time, it was Flynn who put his name on the scoresheet on the power play. Amherst peppered the Colby net with shots, and eventually that pressure broke the Mules: Josh Burke fired a slap-shot from the point that was initially blocked, but he got his own loose puck and passed to his right to a waiting Flynn. Flynn slapped a one-timer past Mules goaltender Cooper Rautenstrauch for the 3-2 advantage.

* An empty net goal by Cristobal Tola with five seconds to go iced the game, with Amherst coming out on top 4-2.
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
* The Mules outshot Amherst 29-26 in shots on goal in the match.

* Flynn's 2 point night was his third multi-point game of the year.

* Netminder Vincent Lamberti made 27 stops in the contest.