CLINTON, N.Y. – Hamilton College's Jackson Krock '26 recorded his first two-goal game and the Continentals posted a 5-2 NESCAC win against the Wesleyan University Cardinals inside Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Saturday, Jan. 27.
 

Season Update

• The Continentals (12-5-1, 7-4-1 NESCAC), who are receiving votes in the USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll, have won three of their last four games.
• Wesleyan (5-12-1, 3-8-1) has lost three of its last four.

 

How It Happened

• Hamilton took a 1-0 lead just 44 seconds into the first period and never trailed. The Continentals gained control of a loose puck in their defensive zone and quickly headed up ice. Krock received a pass in the slot from Grisha Gotovets '25 and fanned on a wrist shot. Krock stuck with it and put a backhander into the back of the net from below the right faceoff circle.
• Jack Kane drew the Cardinals even 3:43 into the first on a wrist shot from above the left faceoff circle.
• Krock put Hamilton in the lead for good at 6:42 in the second period. Justin Biraben '27 forced a turnover in the neutral zone and chipped the puck into the attacking zone. The puck was poked away from him but Devon de Vries '27 won the race to it and passed from the left-side boards to Krock in the middle of the faceoff circle. Krock's catch-and-release beat the goaltender low on the glove side.
• Logan Greene '24 made it 3-1 with 6:45 left in the second. A backhand shot by Matt Gellerman '24 was stopped and the puck pinballed around the low slot for a few seconds. It finally came out to Greene and he squeezed a wrist shot inside the right post from the middle of the right faceoff circle.
• Owen Sweet pulled Wesleyan within a goal on a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that beat the second period horn by a tenth of a second.
• The Continentals restored their two-goal cushion 5:26 into the third period on a goal by de Vries. Max Bulawka '26 passed to de Vries at the goal line below the right faceoff circle. He drove towards the crease and stuffed the puck past the goaltender.
• Less than a minute later, Hamilton started a 5-on-3 power play that lasted for 1:54. It didn't produce any goals, but Noah Leibl '27 scored into an empty net with 3:48 remaining and clinched the victory for the Continentals. The Cardinals had pulled their goaltender for a sixth skater for the second time 36 seconds earlier.

 

Notes

• Krock is tied for third on the team with six goals. He also won 13 of 23 faceoffs.
• The goal and assist for de Vries mark his fourth multi-point game this season.
• Biraben and Luke Tchor '27 picked up two assists apiece. Biraben is tied for third on the team with 10 helpers. Tchor leads the conference with 13 assists and 25 points.
• Leibl scored his third goal and Greene notched his first this season.
• Ryan Sordillo '27 registered his first collegiate assist.
• Bulawka is second on the team with 11 helpers.
• Gellerman collected his first point since Feb. 10, 2023.
• Gotovets extended his point streak to six games.
• Jack Grant '24 made 33 saves for Hamilton.
• Ethan Davidson had an assist on both Wesleyan goals.
• Marc Smith turned away 35 shots for the Cardinals.
• The Continentals swept the season series with Wesleyan. Hamilton shut out the Cardinals 2-0 back on Dec. 2.
• The Continentals have won four of the last five meetings against Wesleyan.

 

Next Game

Hamilton travels to Colby College (6-8-3, 2-6-3) for another NESCAC contest on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.