Schremp opened the scoring for the Jeffs 13 minutes into the first frame when he slid a loose puck underneath Wesleyan goaltender, capitalizing on assists from forwards Sean Ellis '07 and Trevor Calamel '07. The Jeffs added to their lead two minutes later when Greco beautifully deflected a shot that Rob Stevenson '08 had slapped over the goalie's right shoulder. Greco, who had an outstanding game, grabbed his second score late in the second session on the power play with Stevenson notching the assist and forward Kyle Schoppel '08 adding the other.
The three-goal cushion was all that goalie Josh Fillman '07 needed as he turned away 31 Cardinal shots in a great performance. The Jeffs' dominating defensive effort was lead by forward Brandon Zangel '07 who knocked countless Wesleyan skaters to the ice with massive open-ice hits.
On Nov. 19th, the Jeffs welcomed the fourth-ranked Trinity College Bantams for a rare early-season conference test. Despite 37 saves by goalie Dan Smith '08, Amherst fell 2-1 in a hard-fought game that demonstrated that the Jeffs are a threat in the NESCAC and the nation.
Trinity's Adam Ladd scored on a slap-shot to give the Bantams an early advantage. Amherst knotted the game late in the first period when Greco skated across the Trinity net before dishing a sweet backhand pass to charging defender Shane Lennox '09 who fired a slapshot past the Bantam net minder for his first career tally.
But the tie wouldn't last long as Trinity seized the advantage one minute into the second period when Bantam Dan Maturi buried a scramble in front of the net. Trinity goaltender Henry Broslin made 28 stops to preserve the win for the Bantams. Senior captain forward Jack Greeley had a number of opportunities narrowly turned away and defender Mike McIntosh '08 played well.
During the second weekend of Thanksgiving Break, Amherst turned its focus to the Spurrier Classic hosted by Wesleyan, and wasted no time getting back into the win column. Rookie forward and NESCAC Player of the Week Rylan Burns scored two goals and added an assist to pace Amherst's 7-4 victory over Connecticut College. After trailing early, Burns tied the score and Schoppel gave the Jeffs the lead 31 seconds later off assists from Will Collins '09 and McIntosh, respectively. The Camels answered, but junior forward Trevor Calamel fired home his first score of the year with helpers from Zangel and Lennox. Gregg Adamo '08 scored his first goal of the year and Schoppel shot home the eventual game-winner. The Camels came within one before Burns snagged his second goal, followed by Greco, the latter of which put the game out of reach. Smith managed 27 saves in the win for the Jeffs, who advanced to the championship game. "We keep getting better on offense, but we haven't reached our potential yet. We're all trying to get back into the pace of the game," Collins explained.
Amherst captured the Spurrier Classic crown after beating tournament host Wesleyan 3-2 in overtime on Sunday. Greco continued his blistering start by notching his fourth score of the season for Amherst's first goal. The Cardinals tied the game five minutes later before Schoppel, assisted by Greco and McIntosh, added a score. The teams remained deadlocked after a Cardinal goal in the second period. The squads headed to overtime, where Burns connected with assists from McIntosh and Jeff Landers '09 to win the game. The Jeffs will prepare for this Friday's game at ECAC foe Norwich University on Friday, Dec. 2.
NESCAC Notes
Amherst currently sits tied for fifth at 1-1 in the conference as Middlebury, Trinity, Williams and Colby Colleges opened conference play undefeated at 2-0.