NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's ice hockey team hung tough, but ultimately fell to No. 3 Amherst 3-1 on Saturday afternoon from Dayton Arena.

Conn had a strong start forcing two early saves from Natalie Stott, as both Jess Pistorino (Charlestown, Mass.) and Olivia Montembeault (Glencoe, Ill.) were denied. Amherst answered with the next three shots, but Devon Galizio (Wayland, Mass.) was up to the task. However, it was the Mammoths who struck first at 7:51, as Marie-Eve Marleau poked home a rebound to make it 1-0. Neither side connected for the rest of the period, as Amherst led 1-0 after one.

The teams traded chances early in the middle frame, but neither side was able to find the back of the net. However, just past the midway point, Amherst earned a power play and capitalized, as Bea Flynn went coast-to-coast to make it 2-0. Conn answered back just under two minutes later, after earning a power play themselves. Lily Stern (Nove Zamky, Slovakia) had her shot stopped by Stott, but the rebound fell to Serena Seiple (Wilmette, Ill.) who found Alana Burm (Higham, Mass.) to make it 2-1 heading to the third.

The Mammoths extended the lead early in the third period as Gretchen Dann's point shot snuck home at 2:14. Conn upped the pressure looking to cut the deficit once again, and earned a power play with five minutes remaining. With the advantage, the Camels forced three saves from Stotts, but were unable to cash in. Conn continued to push, but were unable to beat Stott again, falling 3-1,

Amherst outshot Conn 37-22, while holding a slim 30-28 edge on face-off wins.

Galizio got the start in net, finishing with 34 saves. Burm paced the Camels with the lone tally, as Seiple and Stern both added one assist. Seiple led the way in the circle winning 13 draws, while Conn blocked 21 shots, led by both Stern and Elizabeth Bonner (Westfield, N.J.) with four. Conn finished 1-3 on the power play and 0-1 on the penalty kill.

Stott got the start in net finishing with 21 saves. Dann, Flynn, and Marleau each recorded a goal, while Maeve Reynolds notched two assists to lead the Mammoths. Amherst finished 2-3 on the penalty kill and 1-1 on the power play.

Conn (2-1-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC) returns to action on Saturday as the Camels open up a weekend series with Arcadia at 5:00 p.m. in Dayton Arena.