Bowdoin College’s Alex Kozic made 33 saves and the Polar Bears posted a 3-1 NESCAC win against the Hamilton College Continentals at Hamilton’s Russell Sage Rink on Thursday night.
The Continentals dropped to 5-4-0 overall and 4-3 in the conference with their second loss at home in three days. Hamilton’s next game at Amherst College scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21 is postponed but could be made up later this weekend.
The Polar Bears improved to 4-5-3 overall and 4-3-2 in the NESCAC. Patrick Ault picked up two assists and three different players scored a goal.
The Continentals won 36 of 58 faceoffs and held a 34-28 shot advantage. Fred Allaire ’23 won 13 and lost just one, and Cade Groton ’23 won 10 of 13. Sean Storr ’22 made 25 stops including 13 in the second period.
Nick Rutigliano ’22 gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead about halfway through a power play at 4:13 of the first period. Grisha Gotovets ’25 passed the puck from the left-side boards near the faceoff circle to Rutigliano at the point. His rising wrist shot snuck inside the left post for his third goal and fifth point. Gotovets has three assists and seven points in nine games. Allaire was credited with his fourth helper. The Continentals outshot Bowdoin 15-3 during the opening 20 minutes.
The Polar Bears still trailed by a goal at the first intermission, but Albert Washco drew Bowdoin even 1:26 into the second period. Washco brought the puck up the right side and into the Polar Bears’ attacking zone on a rush. He scored on a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. Chris Brown put Bowdoin in the lead with 2:34 left in the second when he scored on a scramble just outside the crease.
Hamilton had its chances. A shot by Matt Gellerman ’24 rang off the crossbar about four minutes into the second period. The Continentals were also on the power play for nearly four straight minutes early in the third period. Hamilton pulled Storr for an extra skater with about 1:15 remaining but didn’t put another shot on goal.
Joe Alexander clinched the victory with an empty-net goal on a shot from his defensive zone with 39.8 seconds to go. The Polar Bears had lost eight of the previous 10 games in the series against the Continentals.
