Hamilton College's Evan Buitenhuis '18 made 27 saves and Nick Ursitti '20 scored in the third period as the Continentals shut out the Middlebury College Panthers 1-0 in NESCAC action at Middlebury's Kenyon Arena on Saturday.

Hamilton is 5-0-1 in its last six games and the Continentals have outscored their opponents 19-9 during that stretch. Hamilton (15-6-2, 9-6-2 NESCAC) is tied for third place in the conference standings with Amherst College with one game remaining in the regular season. The top four teams host a 2018 NESCAC Men's Hockey Championship quarterfinal on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Continentals travel to Williams College for the regular season finale on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m.

Buitenhuis posted his second shutout in as many games and the ninth of his Hamilton career. He leads NCAA Division III in goals against average (1.34) and save percentage (.952) and is tied for sixth with three shutouts.

Ursitti's 11th goal this season at 6:15 of the third period was the difference. He's second on the team with those 11 goals and is fourth with 18 points. Ursitti scored the game-winner on a hard shot from the slot that tucked inside the right post.

The Continentals enjoyed a 37-27 shot advantage, including 16-8 in the second period. Stephen Klein stopped 36 shots for the Panthers (4-17-2, 2-13-2).

Hamilton had a 5-on-3 power play for three minutes midway through the first period due to a pair of five-minute major penalties assessed to Middlebury players at 11:20. The Continentals' best scoring opportunity during their power play came with 6:19 left when a shot from the right post by Rory Gagnon '19 was saved by Klein.

Bennett Morrison '20 nearly put Hamilton on the scoreboard during another power play at 2:23 of the second period as he hammered a shot from the right circle that clanged off the left post and ricocheted away. Trevor Turnbull had a chance to give the Panthers the elusive first goal 4:01 into the third period. Mitchell Allen sent a pass from the right circle to the left side where Turnbull fired a one-timer off the post.

Middlebury pulled Klein for an extra skater with 2:14 left in a last-ditch effort to score the equalizer. Sean Allen '21 and Brandon Willett '18 blocked shots by the Panthers, and Buitenhuis made three saves in the final two minutes, including a shot by Mark McLellan with 29 seconds remaining.

Middlebury was 0-for-2 on the power play. The Continentals are fourth in Division III on the penalty kill at 90.2 percent. Hamilton swept the season series from the Panthers as the Continentals recorded a 4-1 win back on Dec. 8.