WATERVILLE, Me. -- Dan Dachille made 32 saves Sunday and Connor Merrill scored a second-period goal as the Amherst men's hockey team shutout #15th-ranked Colby, 1-0. 

The Mammoths improved to 8-9-2 overall, 7-6-1 in conference play. Amherst is at Connecticut College, Friday, Feb. 11, for a 7 p.m. game. Colby fell to 12-4-1 overall with the loss, 9-3-1 in the NESCAC. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Dachille was at his best in the first period when Colby outshot the Mammoths 14-4 but the teams went into the locker rooms after the break still scoreless. 

* The second stanza was more evenly played, with Colby holding a 10-8 edge in shots. But the Mammoths got on the scoreboard with 3:10 left in the frame. An errant pass by Colby in the Amherst zone past the Colby blueline. Matt Toporowski outraced a Colby defender to the puck on the left boards, spun to his backhand and delivered a no-look pass to the slot right on the tape of Merrrill, who had been trailing ever so slightly on the play. Left one-on-one with the goalie. Merrill fired a close-range shot just over the outstretched glove of Andy Beran for the 1-0 advantage. 

* Colby had a power-play early in the third period and created five shots, two which were wide, one was blocked and two Dachille saved. With 6:28 left in the game the Mules had another power-play chance, but again Dachille was up to the task, making  two additional saves. Finally, Colby pulled its goalie for the extra attacker with 1:37 remaining, but Dachille stopped the only shot he faced over the final 90 seconds. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Colby finished with a 32-17 advantage in shots. 

* Colby won 35 of 51 face-offs in the contest, 

* Amherst successfully killed off all four Colby power plays.