Hamilton College scored three unanswered goals and the Continentals completed the 3-2 NESCAC comeback victory against the Amherst College Mammoths on Friday night at Amherst's Orr Rink. The contest was the season opener for both teams.

Hamilton completed the come-from-behind victory by scoring its third straight goal with 5:24 remaining in the third period. Maddie Hong '23 won the puck battle in the neutral zone and passed ahead to Nancy Loh '22 racing into the offensive zone. Loh took the defender wide before firing a shot on goal and Hong cleaned up the rebound, giving the Continentals their first lead with her first collegiate goal.

With Hamilton's Loh in the penalty box, Amherst called Caitlin Walker (28 saves) to the bench to gain a two-skater advantage with 50 seconds remaining, but the Mammoths managed just one shot that was blocked by Kate Piacenza '21.

Jess Haviland '21 started Hamilton's scoring streak with 2:04 left in the second. Missy Segall '21 gathered the puck in the left corner and skated behind Amherst's net, wrapped around the zone to the high slot and fired a shot that bounced off Walker's pad. Haviland was waiting out front to bury the rebound and cut Hamilton's deficit in half at 2-1.  

Piacenza knotted the score at 2-2 with 8:41 to go in the third period when she blocked an Amherst shot from the point and chased down the loose puck in the neutral zone. Piacenza used her speed for a breakaway, deked around Walker and lifted the puck over her left leg.

Amherst took a 1-0 lead 10:56 in the first period after capitalizing on its second power play. Stephanie Nomicos received a pass from Emma Flynn and blasted a slap shot from the right point before Kate Pohl tipped the puck up and over the right shoulder of Gab Venne '22 (23 saves).

The Mammoths made it a 2-0 advantage 1:10 into the second stanza. Flynn banged the puck off the boards at the Continentals' blue line, raced past the defender for a two-on-one with Jillian Mazzocca, and Mazzocca poked the puck between Venne's legs.

Amherst and Hamilton face off again on Saturday to complete the two-game NESCAC series at 3 p.m. in Amherst, Mass.