CLINTON, N.Y. – Hamilton College goaltender Charlie Archer '25 made 24 saves in the Continentals' 6-0 NESCAC win against the Middlebury College Panthers inside Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 7.
 

Season Update

• The Continentals (6-2-0, 4-1 NESCAC), who are receiving votes in the USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll, have outscored their opponents 16-3 during their three-game win streak.
• Middlebury (4-4-0, 2-4) is winless in four games away from home this season.

 

How It Happened

• Jacob Ierfino '27 gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead with 42.3 seconds left in the first period following extended time in its offensive zone. Sebastian Hamming '28 took a shot from above the right faceoff circle that was blocked by one of the Panthers. Ierfino retrieved the loose puck in the slot and scored from close range.
• The Continentals held on to their one-goal edge until their fourth power play of the second period. Alex Danis '26, who was positioned just outside the crease, tipped home a wrist shot by Justin Biraben '27 taken from above the left faceoff circle with 5:37 remaining.
• Max Bulawka '26 made it 3-0 on yet another power play 64 seconds later. Nick Kent '27 sent the puck towards the goal from above the right faceoff circle and Bulawka deflected it from the circle near the slot.
• Luke Tchor '27 provided a four-goal advantage with 3:14 to go in the second. Grisha Gotovets '25 hammered a one-timer from the faceoff dot in the right circle and Tchor redirected the shot into a wide-open net from near the left post.
• Gotovets scored with 3:24 left in the third period. Tchor passed the puck from near the corner by the left-side boards and Gotovets redirected it into the goal from the low slot.
• Ryan Sordillo '27 closed out the scoring 1:09 into a 5-on-3 power play. Bulawka's one-timer was stopped by the goaltender but the puck squirted over to Sordillo near the right post. He took a couple whacks at it and on the second try the puck settled in the back of the net with 1:27 remaining.
• Archer preserved the shutout by making 10 stops in both the second and third periods.

 

Notes

• Archer posted his first shutout this season and the fifth of his Hamilton career. He has a 1.62 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in five starts.
• The Continentals have scored five or more goals in all six wins this season.
• The six goals were the largest margin of victory for Hamilton against Middlebury since an 8-2 win during the 1946-47 season.
• Bulawka (goal, assist) recorded his second multi-point game this season.
• Gotovets (goal, assist) has a four-game point streak intact with three goals and three assists during that stretch.
• Tchor (goal, assist) is tied for the team lead with five goals and is tied for first in the NESCAC with 12 points.
• Kent (two assists) is second in the conference with nine helpers.
• Danis is tied with Tchor for the team lead with those five goals.
• Sordillo scored his first goal this season and won 8-of-10 faceoffs. The Continentals won 31-of-50 as a team.
• Ierfino notched his third goal of the weekend.
• Hamming picked up his third assist of the weekend.
• Liam Varmecky '28 collected his first collegiate point with an assist.
• Biraben has an assist in four of the last five games.
• Hamilton's special teams had a great day as the Continentals went 3-for-8 on the power play and killed all three of the Panthers' opportunities.
• Andrew Heinze started in net for Middlebury and turned away 16 shots. Conor Sullivan relieved Heinze in the third period and made 17 saves.
• Hamilton is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings with the Panthers.
• The Continentals held their senior recognition ceremony before the game. They honored Archer, Gotovets, Ryan Brown '25, William Neault '25, David Parker '25 and James Philpott '25.

 

Next Game

Hamilton plays a non-conference contest at Nazareth University (4-4-2 overall) on Friday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.