Quick Start Leads Bowdoin Past Amherst in Men's Ice Hockey Quarterfinals
Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College men's ice hockey team scored six goals in the first two periods and held off a late rally to beat Amherst in the NESCAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, 6-4. The fourth-seeded Polar Bears (16-5-3) will travel to play at top-seeded Trinity next Saturday afternoon. Gametimes and ticket information will be announced later this week. Amherst finishes their season with a mark of 13-10-2.
Bowdoin came out firing in the first period, taking a 2-0 after the opening stanza and looking to avenge last week's defeat at Amherst. Andy Nelson converted a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Polar Bears with a snap shot to the top right corner just 2:17 into the contest. At 5:11, Shannon McNevan converted on the powerplay for Bowdoin, coming across the crease and beating Amherst goaltender Josh Fillman for a 2-0 Polar Bear lead.
Bowdoin increased their lead to 3-0 in the second frame when Adam Dann found James Gadon in front for a one-timer tally at 2:32. Amherst cut into the Bowdoin lead at 4:53 when Kyle Schoppel carried the puck from the left corner and snapped a low shot past George Papachristopoulos to make it 3-1. Bowdoin got the goal back just one minute later when Bryan Ciborowski finished off a scramble in front to increase the edge to 4-1.
The flurry of goals continued later in the frame, as a Nate Riddell shot from the point was initially saved by Fillman, but Bowdoin's Colin Hughes knocked home the rebound to make it 5-1 at 7:36. At 13:58, Greg McConnell tipped a Steven Thompson shot from between the circles as Bowdoin led 6-1. Amherst scored a late goal as Michael McIntosh scored on a slapshot from the point with just three seconds left in the period.
Amherst scored twice in the final frame to make things interesting, as A.J. Greco and Sean Ellis found the back of the net. But Bowdoin held off the Jeffs and advanced to the NESCAC Semifinals for the first time since 2002.
Papachristopoulos stopped 17 shots in goal for Bowdoin, while Fillman made 23 saves for the Jeffs.
