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Nick Anderson '14
Nick Anderson '14

Nick Anderson '14 scored two goals and added an assist to lead Hamilton College to a 6-3 win against nationally ranked No. 3 Williams College in a New England Small College Athletic Conference men's ice hockey game at Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Jan. 8.

Hamilton (6-4-1 overall, 3-2-1 NESCAC) upset one of the top-ranked teams in Division III for the second time in 10 days. On Dec. 30, The Continentals knocked off then-No. 1 SUNY Oswego 5-1 on Oswego's home ice.

Williams (7-2-1, 4-2-0) entered the weekend as the last Division III team without a loss, and had allowed just eight goals in eight games, but the Ephs dropped a 4-2 decision at Amherst College on Friday before they allowed six goals against Hamilton.

Anderson and Hamilton's Joe Houk '13 are tied for the team lead with seven goals. Thomas Williams '14 chipped in a goal and two assists. Scott Hefferman '11 made 25 saves.

Williams' goals were scored by three different players. Stephen Maier '12 was credited with two goals, and Ryan Purdy '12 turned away 29 shots.

The Continentals jumped on top early as Anderson scored off a rebound just 30 seconds into the first period. The Ephs tied the score with a power-play goal at 4:14 of the first. John Wickman '13 poked in a loose puck from the left side of the goal for his fourth this season. Williams grabbed a 2-1 lead while the teams were skating 4-on-4 just 58 seconds later. Ben Contini '11 lofted a high wrist shot from the right circle that eluded Hefferman for Contini's sixth goal. Tom Chiappetta '11 drew Hamilton even with his third goal with 8:23 left in the period. Andrew White '13 took a shot from near the blue line that Chiappetta redirected past Purdy in the slot.

Phil DiDonato '13 gave the Continentals a 3-2 lead in the second period with the first goal of his collegiate career. A shot by Hamilton's Williams was deflected up and away by Purdy's stick, and right into the chest of a hard-charging DiDonato. The puck caromed off him and into the goal.

The Continentals padded their lead midway through the third period. The Ephs turned the puck over in their zone and Anderson picked it up. He skated into the left circle and snapped a wrist shot that found the back of the net at 9:07. Williams cut its deficit to one on the Ephs' second power-play goal. Bryden McGhee '14 tallied his fifth goal on a slap shot from the top of the left circle with 9:51 left. Williams ended up 2-for-2 with the extra skater.

Hamilton went back in front by two goals as Williams and Anderson hooked up with 2:09 remaining. Williams broke his stick on a faceoff, immediately went to the bench where he was handed another one and worked his way back into the play. Anderson fired a pass to Williams from the right circle and he scored on a one-timer from just outside the crease. Bryan Kelly '12 finished the scoring with 1:01 left when he scored an empty-net goal. The goal was Kelly's third this season.

The Ephs still lead the all-time series, 65-54-12. The previous three games between the programs had all gone to overtime.

The Continentals travel to Amherst for another NESCAC game on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Williams hosts Wesleyan University in conference action on Friday, Jan. 14.

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