AMHERST, MA – Natalie Stott made 17 saves and Bea Flynn netted the only goal with 14:38 remaining in the third period Sunday as the #3-ranked Amherst College women's hockey team toppled #1 Middlebury, 1-0, in the championship game of the NESCAC Tournament. 

It was Amherst's 6th NESCAC championship in program history, the second-most in NESCAC history. 

The Mammoths improved to 21-5-1 overall and receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection show is tonight at 8:30. Middlebury slipped to 20-6-1 overall with the defeat.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

       *  Middlebury held an 8-4 advantage in shots over the first 20 minutes, but Stott came up big sveeral times to keep the game scoreless. 

• In the second frame an Amherst scoring opportunity arose as Carlisle Brush's pass to Kelsey Stewart progressed into a breakaway down the right side of the ice. Off to her left, Stewart delivered the puck to Flynn in a 2-on-1 toward net. Flynn ripped the shot at the net with 13:46 remaining in the second period, but the shot went just wide of the post.
• Later in the period, from the left face-off circle, Flynn deflected the puck back to Maeve Reynolds so that Reynolds could deliver the puck at the left point where Annabel Raffin was stationed. Raffin sent a wrist shot towards the crease for a scramble to ensue. Reynolds nearly got the tip-in toward goal, but the play was whistled to a stop with just 1:09 left in the period.
• Early in the final stanza, Abban intercepted the puck near the left face-off circle in the Panthers' zone, skated behind the net along the boards, and delivered a feeding pass just past the left post into the slot. Flynn finished the play with a one-timer, sending a top-bar shot into the back of the net with 14:38 left in the third period. The goal marked Flynn's 11th of the season.
• Shortly after the go-ahead goal, Middlebury went on the power play, but a stalwart effort from the Mammoths' penalty-killing units kept them off the board. 
• Amherst continued to pressure the Panthers, and Gretchen Dann, stationed by the right boards of Middlebury's end, passed the puck between her skates to Alyssa Xu in the right face-off circle. Xu delivered the puck to the high slot, backhanding it to Reynolds by the left post, nearly finding the back of the net with 3:23 remaining in regulation.

 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Amherst out shot Middlebury 27-18.
• On power plays, Amherst went 0-1 and Middlebury 0-3.
• The Mammoths won 31 out of the 58 face-offs. Reynolds won 15 of the 24 she took.
• In goal, and with maintaining the shutout, Stott saved all 17 shots she faced on net.