BRUNSWICK, ME - The Bowdoin College men's ice hockey team lost at Dayton Arena for the first time this season, falling 3-2 to Amherst College on Saturday afternoon. The 11th-ranked Polar Bears dip to 14-5-0 this season while the Jeffs improve to 11-6-3.
Bowdoin dominated the opening period, taking 10 of the first 11 shots of the game, but it was Amherst who garnered the first good scoring opportunity and was handed a 5-on-3 power play chance. Paul DeCoster made two key saves before Bowdoin earned an extra-man chance of its own late in the period. Colin Hughes put the Polar Bears ahead by putting home a rebound at 18:59 on the power play to give the hosts a 1-0 edge heading into the second stanza.
The second period featured up-and-down action for the opening nine minutes before the Jeffs knotted the score at 9:29. Junior defenseman Jeff Landers (Hanover, MA) collected a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired a high shot to the top-right corner from the blue line that beat DeCoster to make it a 1-1 game. Minutes later, Bowdoin regained the lead with a nifty goal from Kyle Shearer-Hardy. The Polar Bear first-year broke loose and buried a wrist-shot top-shelf to beat first-year Jonathan Larose (Boyle, AB) at 16:06.
Bowdoin had a pair of breakaway chances early in the third period, but couldn't convert as substitute first-year goalie Cole Anderson (Sylvan Lake, AB) stopped both shots cold. With six minutes gone by in the frame, Amherst found the equalizer as sophomore forward Jack Baer (Edina, MN) took control of the puck at center ice and skated in on DeCoster, slipping the puck inside the right post to tie the game with 13 minutes to go. The Jeffs went ahead just moments later as a fluttering shot by sophomore forward Keith Nelson (Manalapan, NJ) from just inside the blue line knuckled past DeCoster and into the net, giving Amherst a 3-2 edge at 7:32.
Nelson's goal, which was his sixth of the season, proved to be the difference as Anderson made 13 saves in the third period. Larose finished with 22 stops for the Jeffs while DeCoster made 12 in defeat. Bowdoin out-shot Amherst 37-15 for the game.
The Lord Jeffs return to action Friday, Feb. 15 for a 7 p.m. home game against Saint Anselm College.
