SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hamilton College scored five goals in the opening 24 minutes and the Continentals cruised to a 5-2 win against the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds in the consolation game of the 2024 Skidmore Thanksgiving Invitational inside Weibel Arena on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 1.
 

Season Update

• Hamilton (4-2-0 overall), which is receiving votes in the USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll, was edged 2-1 by SUNY Fredonia in the Continentals' first game in the invitational on Nov. 30.
• The 12th-ranked Thoroughbreds (5-4-0), who are 4-2 in the New England Hockey Conference, lost 5-4 to Lake Forest College in the invitational's opening contest on Saturday.

 

How It Happened

• Hamilton scored the first goal 7:59 into the first period. A shot by defenseman John Wojciechowski '28 was blocked and Grisha Gotovets '25 controlled the loose puck. Gotovets skated to the point and passed to Luke Tchor '27 for a one-timer from near the faceoff dot in the right circle.
• The Continentals made it a two-goal cushion 45 seconds later. Tchor passed from the left-side boards to James Philpott '25, who was all alone in the right faceoff circle. Philpott had plenty of time to pick his spot, and he scored from the bottom of the circle on a wrist shot inside the near post.
• Hamilton made it 3-0 with just 7.8 seconds left in the first. After a faceoff in the left circle in the Continentals' attacking zone, Gotovets stole the puck below the circle and skated left to right through the low slot. The goaltender had reacted to Gotovets' first move and was lying flat on the ice when he lifted a shot high into the back of the net.
• Hamilton kept the pressure on early in the second period. Justin Biraben '27 partially fanned on a shot from above the left faceoff circle, but the momentum carried the puck slowly towards the crease. Devon de Vries '27 was there to sweep the puck over the goal line from the low slot as he was getting checked to the ice 1:29 into the period.
• The Continentals scored their fifth and final goal at 3:20 of the second. Ben Zimmerman '26 passed from the right faceoff circle to Noah Leibl '27 left uncovered in the slot, and he scored on a quick wrist shot.
• Skidmore ended Hamilton's shutout bid with 2:21 remaining in the second period on a power-play goal by Mitchell Floccare. Coleman Jenkins, who had an assist on Floccare's goal, completed the scoring with 4:50 to go in the third period.

 

Notes

• Gotovets had a goal and an assist and was named to the all-tournament team. He also had the Continentals' goal against Fredonia. He has two multi-point games this season.
• Tchor chipped in a goal and a helper and leads Hamilton with 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists).
• Philpott registered a goal and an assist for the defenseman's first multi-point game since Feb. 17, 2024, against Williams College. He also blocked two shots.
• Leibl scored his third goal this season and de Vries notched his first.
• Nick Kent '27 picked up his team-leading seventh assist.
• Biraben has an assist in three straight games.
• Wojciechowski collected his first collegiate point.
• Ryan Sordillo '27 added his first assist this season and won 8-of-12 faceoffs.
• Charlie Archer '25 made 14 of his 26 saves in the third period.
• Floccare blocked three shots in addition to his power-play goal.
• Alex Bonrouhi made his first start in goal for the Thoroughbreds and stopped 14 shots in 21-plus minutes of action. Tommy Aitken relieved Bonrouhi early in the second period and turned away 18 shots.
• The Continentals were 0-for-3 on the power play while Skidmore was 1-for-2.
• The teams tied in their previous two meetings in January 2020.

 

Next Game

Hamilton hosts NESCAC rival Williams (3-3-0, 2-2) at Russell Sage Rink for the Citrus Bowl on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.