Hockey Defeated 3-0 by Hamilton College for NESCAC Championship

CLINTON, NY (March 9, 2025) - The Hamilton College men's hockey team won its first-ever NESCAC Championship on Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over Tufts University at Sage Rink.

The #1 seed and host Continentals (20-6-1) scored twice in the second period and added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Senior goalie Charlie Archer, the All-Conference first team selection in net, made 32 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and ninth of his career.

Tufts, playing in its second straight NESCAC final, saw its season come to a close with a 12-13-1 mark. The #5 seed Jumbos were active offensively all game, with 69 shot attempts compared to 43 for Hamilton. However, the Continentals' #1 defense in the league led by Archer was able to stymie the Jumbos.

Tufts would have the best chance of the first period when a Continental defensive miscue allowed sophomore Marcus Sang to go in on net alone. However, Archer made the save and the first frame finished scoreless.

Hamilton would get the lead eight minutes into the second period. They fought to keep the puck in the Tufts end and junior Alex Danis sent it out to senior William Neault at the point. He put it on net where it was saved by Jumbo junior Gus Bylin, but the puck stayed in the crease and senior Grisha Gotovets pounded it home for a 1-0 advantage.

The Continentals capitalized on a power-play with 3:42 remaining in the second to go ahead 2-0. On a rush out of their own zone, sophomore Devon de Vries skated into the Jumbo end on the right side. He stayed wide and from deep in the circle he zipped a pass onto the stick of sophomore NESCAC Player of the Year Luke Tchor who tapped it in.

Hamilton put its focus on defending the 2-0 lead in the third period, when the hosts attempted just five shots. The Jumbos pulled Bylin with 2:16 remaining in regulation, but were whistled for a penalty 30 seconds later. On a power-play at five-on-five with Bylin out, Hamilton sophomore Justin Biraben poked the puck off a Tufts stick and junior Ben Zimmerman took it and went in to score into the open net with 39 seconds on the clock.

Shots finished at 31-27 in favor of Tufts, including 10-4 in the third. The Continentals scored on two of four power-play chances for the game, while a first-period power-play was the only extra-man opportunity for the Jumbos.

Hamilton earns the NESCAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, with the official 14-team field announced tomorrow at 10 AM.