The Jeffs started their weekend off on the right foot when they beat visiting Connecticut College.
The Camels entered the game seventh in the NESCAC and in the final playoff spot, while the Jeffs were in eighth place and on the outside looking in. That quickly changed after the important weekend of play.
"We played with a little bit of urgency last weekend," said John McNicholas '04. "We had one of our best weeks of practice and it carried into the games."
In Friday night's showdown between the two hopeful playoff squads, it was the Camels who got on the board first. Just 32 seconds into the first period, the Camels were able to capitalize on a furious opening attack with a goal by Brian Frederick.
The Jeffs quickly grabbed a hold of the game, though, scoring the next two goals.
Co-captain Greg Carr '02 started the scoring for the Jeffs when he scored on a wrister from the slot on the power play 9:18 into the first period. Assists on the play went to Beau Kretzman '05 and Bob Miele '02, foreshadowing the type of night that each of them would have.
Miele tallied the next Amherst goal just a minute later, but the Jeffs were unable to hold the lead for long. In what was an up and down first 12 minutes of play, it was Conn that scored the next goal. Pete Hanlon, Conn's leading scorer as a freshman, broke in on a breakaway and wristed the shot past goalie Justin Jagher '03 and into the top corner of the net.
With the score now tied and the Jeffs' season on the line, the Jeffs responded with a flurry of goals. Brad Craigen '05 tallied the next Jeff goal on a slapshot from the left point and Miele added his second goal of the game when he bullied his way to the net and stuffed the puck past the Camel goalie.
After six total goals in the first period, both teams clamped down on defense in the second, but the Jeffs were able to score what was the eventual game winner five minutes into the period.
Kretzman tallied the goal when he banked a pass off of the skates of a Conn defender and into the back of the net.
But the game was far from over, as the Camels tallied two quick goals in the final frame of play. The first tally was eerily similar to their goal in the first period, as they capitalized on an early flurry just 24 seconds into the period.
The Camels then made up for the tough-luck Kretzman goal when Bryan Jaeger lofted the puck into the Amherst defensive zone, where an Amherst defenseman knocked it over Jagher's shoulder with his glove.
But this was as close as the Camels would come. Kretzman added his second goal of the game, this one coming on the power play, when he snapped a wrister over the fallen Conn goalie to give the Jeffs a 6-4 lead.
Miele then finished off his spectacular day by completing his hat trick, to go along with two assists, with just over five minutes left in the game. With his five-point day, Miele went over the 100-point mark for his career.
The next afternoon, the Jeffs had another important challenge, this time against Tufts University. Tufts is in last place in its first season in the NESCAC, after competing in the ECAC East previously.
But the Jeffs needed all the points they could get in their late season charge towards the NESCAC Tournament.
The Jeffs made sure that there was no drama in this game, and they dominated from start to finish. Kretzman started the scoring just three minutes into the game and co-captain Darren Reaume '02 added another goal exactly one minute later. After this initial barrage the Jumbos were able to keep the Jeffs off the scoreboard for the remainder of the first period, but the Jeffs attack came back strong in the second period.
Behind two shorthanded goals, the Jeffs tallied five goals in the second period. Erich Schram '03 started the scoring off just 46 seconds into the second period when he tallied his first goal of the season on a slap shot from the point.
Mike Kreger '04 tallied the Jeffs' first shorthanded goal of the game when he held off a Jumbo defender to slide the puck through the Jumbo goaltender's legs and into the net.
Kretzman added his second goal of the game midway through the period and he set up the next Jeff shorthanded goal after he stole a pass in the Jumbo defensive zone. Kretzman dished the puck to Erik DiNardo '03 who finished the play. With just 21 seconds left in the period Kreger ran the Jeff lead to 7-0 with his second goal of the game.
In the final period Kreger completed his hat trick, the Jeffs' second in as many games over the weekend, but the Jeffs were unable to close out the shutout when the Jumbos scored with just over a minute-and-a-half remaining in the game.
This weekend the Jeffs make a road trip to Maine, where they will take on Bowdoin and Colby Colleges. Both games will be crucial to the Jeffs' playoff chances as they are still in a dogfight with Conn for the final playoff spot.
Heading into the final weekend of NESCAC play, the playoff picture is surprisingly clear.
The top six spots have been wrapped up by Middlebury, Bowdoin, Williams, Colby, Hamilton and Trinity Colleges. Likewise, the conference's two weakest teams, Wesleyan and Tufts Universities, have already been eliminated. So the seventh and final playoff spot will come down to two teams: Amherst and Conn.
Amherst is in the driver's seat, holding a two point lead over 8th place Conn. The Jeffs will guarantee themselves a spot in the postseason with any combination of two points, be it a win or two ties.
Getting those two points, however, will be tough, as Amherst will have to earn them from NESCAC's second and fourth place teams, at their home rinks.
Conn, on the other hand, has 6th place Trinity and 9th place Wesleyan on their slate. They also have the benefit of playing on home ice for their final two games, an advantage they no doubt relish.
Should the two teams finish in a tie, Amherst would go on to the playoffs, because of their head-to-head win on Friday.
"We have to stick to our game plan this weekend," said McNicholas. "We have been transitioning well, playing good defense and getting good goaltending. If we can keep that up we will be fine."