The Hamilton College men's hockey team -- the only unbeaten team at any level of NCAA hockey -- improved to 10-0-2 with a 6-3 win over the visiting Bowdoin College Polar Bears in a NESCAC game at Russell Sage Rink Saturday afternoon.

Brandon Willett '18 – one of 11 Continentals in the scoring column – notched a hat trick and Hamilton held off a third-period Bowdoin rally to maintain first place in the NESCAC with a 5-0-2 mark.

The visiting Polar Bears (6-6-0 overall, 3-5 NESCAC) were held scoreless until the final period when the teams combined for seven goals.

Willett, who notched a goal in each of the first two periods to give Hamilton a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes, completed his first career hat trick with an empty-net goal to seal the win.

Willett took over the team scoring lead with 13 points, including a Hamilton-best eight goals. He opened the scoring with a four-on-four goal 5:59 into the opening period. Jon Carkeek '17 picked up the first of his three assists on the score.

The Continentals doubled their lead with 3:48 left in the second with Conor Lamberti '17 and Robbie Murden '17 setting up Willett's second goal.

The high-scoring final period started with Bowdoin pulling to within a goal at 1:47 before Hamilton scored twice in a 2:16 stretch. The teams traded goals over the final 12 minutes.

Jason Brochu '19 and Truman Landowski '17 answered the first Polar Bear goal (an unassisted score off the stick of Joseph Lace). Brochu's sixth goal of the winter came at the 4:18 mark off an assist by Neil Conway '18. Landowski's power-play goal 2:16 later – assisted by Rory Gagnon '19 and Carkeek – wound up as the game-winner.

Bowdoin goals by Brendan Conroy and Thomas Dunleavy were sandwiched around the first goal of the season by Ian Nichols '19, who made the score 5-2 with Tyler Bruneteau '18 and Bennett Morrison '20 credited with assists.

Carkeek, who leads the NESCAC's defensemen in points (3-9=12) set up Willett's empty-net goal with his team-high ninth assist.

Peter Cronin finished with 26 saves for Bowdoin, including 22 stops over the first two periods.

Hamilton's Evan Buitenhuis '18 made 24 stops to improve to 8-0-2 on the season.

The Continentals close out their four-game homestand with another NESCAC weekend Friday and Saturday at Sage Rink. Hamilton hosts Connecticut College Friday at 7 p.m. and takes on Tufts Saturday at 3 p.m.