Hockey Edged in OT NESCAC Quarterfinal at Amherst

AMHERST, MA (February 25, 2023) – Amherst College freshman Zachary Murray scored a power-play goal with 32 seconds left in overtime to lift the Mammoths to a 3-2 victory over Tufts University in Saturday night's NESCAC Tournament quarterfinal at Orr Rink.

In a wild day of NESCAC hockey that saw three lower seeds win quarterfinal games, third-seed Amherst was the only higher seed to win as they improved to 16-5-4 overall. The Mammoths will now host the conference semifinals and championship game next weekend.

Sixth-seed Tufts, which entered the game as winners of four straight, finished the year at 10-14-1 overall. The 10 victories are the most for the team since the 2016-17 season.

The Jumbos had entered the overtime period with 55 seconds of their own power-play time remaining, but could not capitalize. In an exciting extra session that saw 13 shots on goal by Amherst and 11 by Tufts, Murray was stationed in front of the net during Amherst's man-advantage and he tipped in a shot by Greg McGunigle from just inside the left face-off circle for the winner.

The game had entered the third period tied at 1-1. Murray gave the Mammoths a 2-1 lead with a tremendous individual effort. From the right corner, he escaped two Tufts defenders, moved to the right side of the net and eluded a poke check from Jumbo goalie Peyton Durand. He then brought the puck across the front of the crease and scored from the left side with 8:11 remaining in regulation.

The Jumbos responded though, scoring short-handed to tie the game at 2-2 three and a half minutes later. Defenseman Jack Hughes broke up an Amherst rush into the Jumbo zone. The puck went to Aidan Lovett and he led Mason Kohn with a pass through the neutral zone. Charging to the right of the net with a defender on his shoulder, Kohn put a shot on goal that popped over goalie Dan Dachille and in at 15:11 of the third.

Tufts had an early advantage in the first period, but it was Amherst who would take the first lead. During sustained possession by the Mammoths in the Tufts end, McGunigle at the left point attempted to send a pass through to an open Ryan Corcoran on the right side of the net. However, on its way the puck was deflected by a Jumbo defender into the net putting the hosts up 1-0 at 12:37.

The Mammoths would have an edge in play for the second period, outshooting the Jumbos 15-6 during the frame. However, 15 saves by Durand and the third penalty-shot goal of the season by the Jumbos tied the game.

With Amherst on a power-play, a Mammoth defender slipped allowing Cole Dubicki to take off on a break-away. As he bore down on Dachille he was slashed from behind on his stick-side arm and was awarded a penalty shot. Going wide right to start, Dubicki moved in on Dachille showing backhand before pulling it to his forehand at the crease and stuffing the puck around the goalie into the right side of the cage at 16:04 of the middle stanza.

Durand finished with 43 saves as Amherst out-shot the Jumbos 46-38. Dachille had 36 stops in the Mammoth net.