Cam Gibbar '13 made a career-high 44 saves to lead Hamilton College to a 5-1 win over Western New England University in a non-conference game at Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Jan. 10.
It was the second career win in goal for Gibbar. Mike DiMare '14 and Drew Jelinek '13 each scored two goals, and Pat Curtis '15 scored the other for the Continentals. DiMare is tied for the team lead with nine goals and leads the team with 20 points. Jelinek posted his first career multi-goal game.
Anthony Scarpino '12 recorded two assists, and Evan Haney '14, Bryan Kelly '12, Joe Rausch '15, Phil DiDonato '13, Jordan Berninger '14, Bennett Schneider '14 and Brian Infante '13 added one apiece.
Andrew Cramer '15 scored the lone goal for the Golden Bears. Nick Diorio '15 and Joe Deptula '12 were each credited with an assist, and Tim Carr '15 stopped 33 shots.
Hamilton (6-5-1 overall) got on the board first just 1 minute, 41 seconds into the first period when Curtis scored his fifth goal of the season. Schneider played the puck on the left side to Kelly, who fed a pass to Curtis in front for a one-timer.
Western New England (7-5-0) had several good opportunities to equalize later in the period, but Gibbar made a pair of sliding saves on a chance by Rory Hansen '12 with 2:46 remaining to preserve the Continentals' 1-0 lead through the first intermission.
The Golden Bears finally pulled even with 4:22 left in the second period when Cramer lifted a centering pass from Diorio into the roof of the goal for his first goal of the season. Western New England continued to pressure the Hamilton goal late in the period. But another pair of sliding saves by Gibbar with 2:52 left kept the score tied heading into the second intermission.
The Continentals went ahead for good on a power-play goal by DiMare just 46 seconds into the third. After receiving a pass in front, DiMare skated in and lifted the puck into the top of the goal.
The Golden Bears nearly tied the score again midway through the period when Brandon Stroud '15 skated in alone on Gibbar. But a glove save by Gibbar preserved Hamilton's lead.
The Continentals added an insurance goal via Jelinek's first tally of the season at 14:40. Infante played the puck back to Rausch at the blue line, who fired a slap shot off the right post. Jelinek was there to bang home the rebound and give Hamilton a 3-1 lead.
DiMare added an empty-net goal off an assist from Scarpino with 41 seconds remaining. Jelinek closed the scoring with 11 seconds on the clock when Berninger played the puck ahead in front of the Western New England goal and Jelinek flipped it into the net.
Western New England held a 45-38 shot advantage, and was 0-for-3 on the power play, while Hamilton was 1-for-4. The Continentals have won both meetings with the Golden Bears.
Hamilton travels to Connecticut College for a NESCAC game on Friday, Jan. 13. Western New England plays another non-conference game at SUNY Brockport on Thursday, Jan. 12.
