Courtesy Middlebury Athletic Communications

Box Score

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury advanced to the NESCAC semifinals after a 6-2 win over Hamilton in Kenyon Arena. The Panthers will meet Williams in the semifinal round next weekend at Amherst with the dates and times to be determined. Hamilton ends its season at 9-15-1. Middlebury held a 37-19 advantage in shots for the game.

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead at 4:48 as Martin Drolet scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season on a breakaway through the five-hole. The lead grew to 2-0 at 6:05 with a power play goal from Charles Nerbak. Ken Suchoski fed Nerbak for the one-timer for his fifth goal of the season. Hamilton answered with a power play goal of its own 40 seconds later, as Joe Buicko netted his 10th of the season. Middlebury came back at 8:31 when Suchoski tipped in a shot from the outside by Leonard Badeau to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.

The lead grew to 4-1 8:25 into the third as Jamie McKenna converted a crossing pass from Suchoski. Steven Lucchetti made it a two-goal game as he took advantage of a turnover and scored driving to the goal from the left wing for the Continentals.

Drolet netted his second of the game just 1:32 into the third period, scoring from close-range with a nice feed from Mason Graddock. Nerbak also netted his second of the night, this one coming at the 10:58 mark.

Doug Raeder made 17 saves in goal to earn the win, while Ian Stearns and Mark Donovan combined to make 31 stops for the Continentals.