AMHERST, Mass. – The fourth-seeded Williams College men's hockey team used three third period goals to advance past third-seeded Conn. College, 4-2 in Saturday afternoon's NESCAC Championship semifinal game at Orr Rink.
With the win, Williams (16-8-2) advances to play the winner of second-seeded Amherst College and eighth-seeded Tufts University at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Orr Rink. Connecticut College concludes its season 14-10-2 overall.
After a first period of play that saw Williams own a 13-4 shots-on-goal differential, the sides went into the first intermission knotted at 0-0. David Italiano led the Ephs with five shots on target, but Conn. College goalie Tom Conlin was stellar, making 13 saves in the frame. Craig Kitto added three shots for Williams in the opening 20 minutes of action.
In the second period, the Camels answered the Ephs' pressure in the first 20 minutes with extended offensive zone pressure on Sean Dougherty. Connecticut College broke the scoreless tie at the 9:15 mark when Greg Liautaud stole the puck from the Williams defense and fired it into the back of the net to set the score at 1-0. The Ephs answered five minutes later when Greg Johnson netted a power play goal at the 14:09 mark to level the game at 1-1. Italiano and James McNamara provided the assists on the scoring play. Williams edged the Camels, 15-13 in shots on goal in the second stanza and posted a 28-17 lead through two periods of action.
In the third period, the Ephs exploded for a trio of goals including Johnson's second of the contest just two minutes into the session. Tyler Young and McNamara tabbed the assists to set the score at 2-1 in favor of Williams. Just over five minutes later, Frankie Mork blasted the puck past Conlin for what proved to be the game-winner which gave the Ephs a 3-1 advantage. Matt Werner added the assist on the marker.
At the 9:20 mark of the third frame, JC Cangelosi won a faceoff in the Camels' offensive zone and fired a quick shot past Ephs' net-minder Sean Dougherty to pull Conn. College back to within one at 3-2. A wrist-shot goal by Craig Kitto with six minutes to play iced the game for Williams as Dougherty finished with 11 saves in the third period to set the final score at 4-2.
Dougherty (13-8-1) finished with 27 saves, including 12 in the second period to earn the win, while Conlin (13-9-2) made 30 stops, highlighted by 14 in the second, in the losing effort for the Camels.
Kitto finished with six shots on goal for the Ephs, while Italiano and Johnson followed with five and four respectively.
Connecticut College was led by Cangelosi and Ryan Mowery who drove four shots on goal each.
