Box Score NEW LONDON, CT – Four late third period goals sunk the men's ice hockey team on Friday, Feb. 13. With NESCAC playoff position on the line, the team took the ice looking to take home as many points as possible as they look to make a playoff push. First, up for the Mammoths was Conn. College, who took advantage of a late push to win 7-4.

With the loss, the Mammoths slip to 10-9-2 (5-9-1 NESCAC) on the year while the Camels improve to 9-11-1 (5-9-1 NESCAC). Amherst will play the final road game of the regular season tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14., going to Medford to face the Jumbos. The Mammoths will face Tufts looking for momentum heading into the last few games of regular season, with puck drop scheduled for 4 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* Amherst got on the board first almost exactly halfway through the first period. After a faceoff win by Oliver Flynn in the Mammoths' defensive zone. Caden Olenczak cleared the puck off the boards to Vincent Velocci in the neutral zone as he skated up the ice. Velocci stickhandled past his defender and poked the puck forward to Magnus Gadowski to his right. The sophomore collected the puck and finished on his backhand to make it 1-0.

* Conn. got that goal back 4 minutes later, as they capitalized on a miscommunication on a loose puck in front of the net to tap it home, as Vincent Lamberti sprawled but could not keep it out. That sore didn't last long, though as the Camels netted again just 14 seconds into the second frame on a shot from the point from Kareem Alazem that snuck past Lamberti to make it 2-1.

* Amherst responded in kind just 90 seconds later, though, with a goal on the power play. 45 seconds into the man-advantage, Amherst broke out of their own zone. Josh Burke rushed down the ice, sliding the puck to Velocci. The junior found Andrew Carmody in the high slot, and the senior took a shot that was initially blocked into the air. He skated forward to the dropping puck and batted his own shot out of the air into the net to tie the game.

* Conn. again took the lead with a power play goal of their own, scoring from the right faceoff dot. But just like before, the Amherst special teams came up clutch, potting another on the 5-on-4. This time it was Flynn who finished the play: Amherst worked the puck around the horn, with John Small finding Velocci in line with the net on the right side. Velocci's shot was saved, but Flynn put in the rebound to even the game at 3-apiece heading to the final period.

* Despite Amherst dominating the scoring chances, the Camels struck twice in the third before Amherst got one back with 1:58 to go. Ben Ritter got the goal, with Quinton Gove and Burke notching assists on the tally, which came on a 6-on-5 with the Amherst net empty.

* Two Camels empty-netters sealed a 7-4 defeat for the Mammoths.
 
BY THE NUMBERS:

* The Mammoths outshot the Camels 34-31 in shots on goal.

* Velocci's 3 assists are the most by a Mammoth since Ben Cook did the same against Babson on Nov. 30, 2024.

* First-year goaltender Lamberti made 24 saves.