Hamilton College and Middlebury College played to a 3-3 tie in a New England Small College Athletic Conference men's ice hockey game at Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Jan. 7.
Martin Drolet '12 scored the game-tying goal on the power play for Middlebury with 6:25 left in the third period when he batted in a loose puck after a shot by the Panthers was knocked down in front of the goal. Drolet was credited with an assist on Middlebury's second goal. Mathieu Dubuc '13 also had a goal and an assist for the Panthers.
The result was just the third tie score in 114 meetings between the two long-time rivals. Middlebury had won the previous eight games with the Continentals dating back to the 2004-05 season. The Panthers tied the University of Southern Maine 3-3 in their last game on Jan. 4.
Hamilton (5-4-1 overall, 2-2-1 NESCAC) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first period on a power-play goal by Andrew White '13. White flipped a wrist shot from the blue line above the left circle with 1:10 left in the first.
Middlebury (3-4-2, 1-3-1) got on track in the second period. Dubuc scored into an open net at 8:50 on a rebound after a shot by Jak Knelman '12 was stopped but not controlled by Joe Quattrocchi '14. Tucker Donahoe '12 made it 2-1 Panthers with 8:00 remaining when he scored on a one-timer in front.
The Continentals jumped all over Middlebury early in the third period. Just 23 seconds into the period, Tom Chiappetta '11 fired a shot from above the left circle that bounced off the goalie and went to a wide-open Michael DiMare '14, who deposited the puck for his fifth goal. Hamilton took a 3-2 lead at 6:43. A shot from above the left circle by BJ Lalonde '12 was blocked, but the loose puck caromed to Nick Anderson '14 in the slot, and his wrist shot found the back of the net for his fifth goal.
A goal by the Panthers with about 7:30 left in the third was disallowed because the officials ruled that the player that scored received the puck with a hand pass from a teammate.
Quattrocchi made 37 saves in his first collegiate action for the Continentals. John Yanchek '12 stopped 23 shots. Middlebury held a 3-2 shot advantage in overtime.
Hamilton hosts nationally ranked No. 3 Williams College for another conference game on Saturday, Jan. 8. The Panthers travel to Amherst College in NESCAC action on Saturday as well.
