Courtesy Trinity Sports Information

Box Score

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Senior co-captain forward Andrew Halder (River Edge, N.J.) scored the game-winning goal 2:42 into overtime to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 3-2 win over the visiting Williams College Ephs in the quarterfinal round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Tournament this afternoon at Kingswood-Oxford Rink.

Trinity, ranked No. 12 in the nation and seeded No. 2 in the tournament, improves to 17-5-2 for the season and advances to the semi-finals of the tournament next weekend. Williams, seeded No. 7 in the tourney field, finishes its season with an 8-15-2 mark. The NESCAC Tournament semifinals and finals will be played at top-seeded Middlebury, if the Panthers defeat No. 8-seeded Tufts this evening in Vermont. Should Tufts upset Middlebury, Trinity will host the semifinals and finals.

Halder pushed in the clincher after a scramble in front of the net, converting on assists by junior forwards Kevin Dmochowsky (Mequon, Wisc.) and Thomas Pierandri (Ridgefield, Conn.). The Bantams forced the extra frame with 37 second left, when freshman defenseman Brendan Timmins (Arlington, Mass.) put in a rebound after Trinity had pulled its goalie for the final minute. Trinity sophomore forward Jeff Natale (Hamden, Conn.) bullied his way toward the center of the ice and blasted a shot off the pads of Williams senior goalie Mike Aroesty (Pittsford, N.Y.) to set up Timmins.

Williams nearly pulled off the upset, scoring twice off rebounds in the second and third periods. Eph sophomore forward Steve Baldassari (Brewster, N.Y.) flicked in the game-tying goal at the 16:07 mark of the second stanza, and junior forward Jabe Bergeron (Chesterfield, N.H.) put Williams ahead with 5:26 remaining in regulation.

The Ephs outshot Trinity, 18-10, in the second period, 17-11, in the third frame, and, 50-36, in the game, but Bantam sophomore netminder Doug Kisielius (Park Ridge, Ill.) made 48 saves to keep Trinity in the game. Aroesty was equally stingy in goal for Williams with 33 stops. Williams held Trinity, the most efficient team in the nation on the power play, scoreless on four power play tries.

Trinity sophomore forward Ryan Stevens (Concord, N.H.) opened the scoring at 16:54 in the first period, stuffing the puck in after a slapshot by junior defenseman Tim Joncas (Branford, Conn.) deflected off Aroesty and trickled just in front of the net. Natale and Joncas each finished with two assists for Trinity.