AMHERST, MA - The Amherst men's hockey team skated past visiting NESCAC rival Connecticut College, 7-4, Friday night at Orr Rink. Senior forward Bob Miele (Woburn, MA) paced the Jeffs with a hat trick and a pair of assists while teammate first-year sensation Beau Kretzman (Edina, MN) chipped in with a pair of goals and an assist.

Amherst tallied four goals in a fast-paced opening period. Senior co-captain Greg Carr (Hanover, MA) ignited the barrage 9:18 into the first period, taking a cross-ice feed from Kretzman and firing a wrister from the slot into the back of the net. Miele followed shortly thereafter, skating in all alone and backhanding a shot past Camel first-year goaltender Steve Oven (Vestal, NY). Conn. College first-year forward Pete Hanlon (Winthrop, MA) quickly countered on another breakaway, shooting a wrister into the top corner of the net. Miele tallied his second goal of the game, chipping a rebound past a sprawled out Oven, giving the Jeffs a 4-2 advantage to end the first period.

Kretzman netted his team-leading 20th goal of the season on a sharp-angled wrister from the right circle for the lone second period goal, putting Amherst ahead, 5-2, heading into the final period. The Camels cut the deficit to a goal 5:03 into the third period when first-year defender Bryan Jaeger (Huntington Bay, NY) lofted a dump-in from the point that found its way past screened junior goaltender Justin Jagher (Framingham, MA). Kretzman then tallied his second goal of the game on another sharp-angled wrister from the left circle. Miele rounded out the scoring and earned his hat trick midway through the final period, firing a one-timer from the slot through the legs of Oven.

With the victory, the Jeffs improve to 5-11-5 overall and 5-7-4 in conference play and our now tied with the Camels (9-8-4/5-7-4) for seventh place in the NESCAC.

Amherst returns to action Saturday at 3 p.m. against visiting NESCAC foe Tufts University.