Courtesy Colby Sports Information

Box Score

WATERVILLE, Maine - Patrick Walsh (Easton, Conn.) and Cory Ernst (Bridgewater, Nova Scotia) both had two goals and one assist in leading the third-seeded Colby College men's hockey team to a 7-0 victory over sixth-seeded Williams College in a New England Small College Athletic Conference quarterfinal game Saturday at Alfond Arena.The Mules will play against second-seeded Middlebury College in a semifinal game next Saturday at Trinity College at 4 p.m. Trinity, the top seed, will entertain fourth-seeded Bowdoin in the other game at 1 p.m.

Walsh, Colby's captain, scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 5:24 of the first period for a 1-0 lead. Ernst and Joe Rothwell (Unionville, Ontario) also had goals in the first period for a 3-0 lead at the break.

Ernst got his second goal of the game at 12:53 of the second period and Patrick Rutherford (Truro, Nova Scotia) followed that score up with one of his own just 35 seconds later for a 5-0 lead after two periods.

Walsh and Todd O'Hara (Minneapolis, Minn.) had third period goals for Colby (15-7-2).

Rutherford also had two assists to go with his goal. Arthur Fritch (South Boston, Mass,) and Greg Osborne (Stoughton, Mass.) both had three assists for the Mules.

Chris Ries (Pittsburgh, Pa.) stopped 23 shots for his second shutout of the season. Brad Shirley (Hanover, N.H.) made 43 saves for Williams (11-12-2). In the last four years, Colby has outscored its opponents by a 26-2 margin in going 4-0 in NESCAC quarterfinal games.