Bowdoin opened the scoring, after controlling much of the first period, with just under four minutes remaining with a slap shot that trickled over the goal line. The Polar Bears outshot the Jeffs 18-5 in the opening frame, and it took tremendous effort by Fillman to keep the Jeffs close. Bowdoin added to its lead in the second session with a slap shot during the man advantage at the 16:16 mark. Amherst finally found the net when defenseman Brandon Zangel '07 took helpers from forwards Sean Ellis '07 and Gregg Adamo '08 and slipped a shot inside the right post.
Bowdoin came back less than a minute later to give the Bears a 3-1 lead, and ended the Amherst season with a goal at the 10:18 mark and another with less than two minutes to play. Fillman posted 27 saves for Amherst while Bowdoin's George Popochristopoulos made 20 stops. "We had tons of chances and could not convert. They slipped a few backbreakers by us. As soon as we made it 2-1, we were all over them, but they scored right after to kill us," said captain forward Jack Greeley '06. "Overall, though, it was a great season, and I only expect the best from these guys in the years to come."
Ellis finished the season as the team's leading point-scorer with 24, (10 goals 14 assists) while forward Kyle Schoppel '08 had another solid campaign notching 10 goals and 10 assists. Forward A.J. Greco '06 wrapped up his career at Amherst with nine goals and nine assists. In a season in which they struggled to muster any sort of offensive firepower the Jeffs finished eighth in total team offense while placing only sixth in total team defense. Fillman finished with a .905 save percentage and a 3.08 goals against average. Defenseman Rylan Burns '09 was the top defenseman scorer and rookie scorer with three goals and 12 assists.
Next season, the Jeffs return nearly all of their players. They bid farewell, however, to a quartet of senior forwards: Greeley, A.J. Greco, Rob Balanda and Steve Nelson. Looking to fill their shoes will be rookie forwards Will Collins, Brendan Powers and Olufemi Amurawaiye, who will see a significant increase in playing time. Schoppel, Adamo and Andrew Schremp '08 combined for 34 goals and 26 assists and will be crucial to Amherst's attack. Next year's senior forwards will be led by Ellis, Trevor Calamel '07 and Erik Lund '07.
The defense doesn't lose anybody and will be set on providing even more protection in front of Fillman who will look to build off this season. Zangel will lead a group that includes Mike McIntosh '08, Rob Stevenson '08, Burns, Jeff Landers '09, Griffin Biedron '09 and Shane Lennox '09. Amherst can hopefully look forward to a full season with at least one backup goaltender and a talented core of hungry first-years to get Amherst over the first round nuisance that has been Bowdoin. "The team was great this year, I have never played on a team with a group of guys that meshed so well," said Burns. "It made it a lot of fun to go to the rink. A lot of that was due to a great group of seniors. Next year hopefully we can have a more consistent season and make a longer run."
NESCAC Notes
Top seeded Middlebury College, a 7-0 winner over Wesleyan University, will face-off against seventh seeded Hamilton College who beat Williams College 9-5. Bowdoin College will face-off with fifth seeded Trinity College who defeated Colby College 3-2 in overtime.