From that point forward, Amherst would control the scoreboard as the Jeffs desperately attempted to bring the game back within reach. Just eight seconds before the end of the second, rookie defenseman Mike McIntosh lit the lamp for Amherst off assists from two forwards: classmate Rob Stevenson and junior Jack Greeley. The Alaskan's score reduced Bowdoin's margin to four goals with just a period to play.
Skating aggressively to start the final period, Greco added another tally to the Jeff total, making the score 6-3. Unfortunately, Amherst could not maintain its momentum against the staunch Bowdoin defense; the game's final score came with just a minute to play after the game was effectively decided. The unassisted score that capped the Jeffs' scoring came off the stick of sophomore forward Sean Ellis.
"Bowdoin is a good team, and it is extremely difficult to beat teams of their quality twice in a row," noted senior co-captain Beau Kretzman. "But the way we came back from 6-1 to make it a game showed how much character and heart we have."
With the loss to Bowdoin, Amherst was eliminated from the NESCAC Tournament and the Jeffs' overall record fell to 13-10-2 (11-6-2 NESCAC). While Saturday's finale in Brunswick, Me., proved a disappointing way of ending the season, the 2004-05 campaign was a season of noteworthy accomplishments for Head Coach Jack Arena '83's squad. The team played nationally second-ranked Norwich University to a 5-5 draw in a non-conference match-up in December and just three games later it became the only NESCAC team this season to defeat the currently third-ranked Bantams of Trinity College, a feat made more difficult since it was accomplished on Trinity's home ice. Additionally, Amherst held the NESCAC's second-best penalty-kill percentage, trailing only defending national champion Middlebury College.
Individually, the Jeffs also featured many strong performances. Most notably, Kretzman scored 39 points this season to share a piece of the NESCAC scoring title, ending his Amherst career as the fourth-leading scorer in the program's history. Schoppel led all NESCAC rookies in scoring and finished sixth in the overall scoring race with 34 points. Also, Amherst's lone goaltender, sophomore Josh Fillman, battled through injuries to become one of Div. III's leaders in minutes played.
Saturday's emotional loss not only brought an end to the season but also marked the end of eight Amherst seniors' collegiate careers. Though Kretzman may be the most celebrated of the bunch, all have played an important role in Amherst hockey's recent success.
"As [the seniors] have moved through the program and assumed more leadership responsibility, the team's record has improved," said Arena. "The class is significant because of its size alone, but it has been successful because of its make-up. Each guy has found a niche where he has been able to make a valuable contribution. They work toward a common goal and don't let individual accomplishments or accolades be a factor in the way they define success. They appreciate the guy who pushes others to be better in practice as much as they do the person who scores the winning goal."
Kretzman added his own reflections on his illustrious Amherst career. "It has been an unbelievable experience, and the best part was being able to share it with the other seniors," he said. "For most of us, hockey has been our lives for about 15 years, and it's going be difficult to close that chapter of our lives."
Senior forward Roy Mabrey echoed Kretzman's sentiments. "I think it was hard for all of us to realize our careers came to an end on Saturday," said Mabrey. "But now that we can look back on it, we have a lot to be proud of. Playing hockey at Amherst has been a great experience and one that none of us will forget."