Mens Ice Hockey

Matt Hadge '13 Collects 48 Saves but Amherst Breaks 3rd-Period Tie to Gain 3-2 McCabe Tournament Win

Faring significantly better vs. 17th-ranked Amherst than the season-opening meeting between the teams in Middletown back on Nov, 19, Wesleyan stood 2-2 vs. the Lord Jeffs with 10 minutes left in their first-round McCabe Tournament game at Amherst Sun., Jan. 2.  The Lord Jeffs broke the deadlock with 9:03 remaining and held off the Cardinals the rest of the way to post a 3-2 victory.  Amherst takes on Trinity, which advanced on a tie-breaking shootout vs. Conn. College after a 2-2 tie through overtime, in the title game while Wesleyan tackles Conn College in the consolation matchup Mon., Jan. 3.  The game will be webcast and can be watched by clicking < here >.

Wesleyan goalie Matt Hadge '13 (#33, main photo) recorded 48 saves as Amherst generated a 51-36 edge in shots.  Wesleyan got a pair of tying goals in the contest, the first from Todd Keats '11 (#7, photo insert upper right) on a short-handed situation a little over five minutes into the second frame.  That countered Amherst's go-ahead goal on the power play in the first period.  After the Lord Jeffs reclaimed the edge, 2-1, with 3:10 left in the middle stanza, Nik Tasiopoulos '14 evened the count with two seconds to go on a Wesleyan power-play.  John Guay '13 got the assist.

The teams skated through 10 scoreless minutes in the final period before the Lord Jeffs converted on a rebound on the left side.  Wesleyan generated several good scoring opportunities down the stretch and got off three shots in the final 30 seconds with Hadge pulled in favor of a sixth skater.  The Amherst keeper held his ground and provided his squad with 34 stops.