Hartford, Conn. – The Trinity College men's ice hockey team won their seventh game in a row, as the Bantams downed visiting Amherst College, 4-1, in men's ice hockey action this afternoon at Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center.  Defending NCAA Champion Trinity, ranked No. 4 in the nation, improves to 14-3-1 overall and remains at the top of the league with a 10-2 conference record.  Amherst drops to 6-8-4 overall and 4-5-3 in the NESCAC with its second loss in as many days.

Amherst struck first on a rebound by sophomore forward Will Vosejpka (Midland, Mich.) of a blocked shot by senior Theodore Hannah (Bedford, Nova Scotia), who was credited with an assist, 34 seconds into the game.  Trinity found itself down two skaters less than four minutes into the first period but did not yield a shot on goal before the first penalty was over at the 15:33 mark, and Bantam first-year forward Ross Mandigo (Stowe, Vt.) scored on a breakaway 10 seconds later to tie it.

Trinity broke the game open in the second period with three goals, while senior goalie Nathaniel Heilbron (West Vancouver, British Columbia) made eight of his 21 saves to keep the visitors at one.  The second Bantam tally was given to rookie Ryan Pfeffer (Canton, Mass.) when junior defenseman T.J. Sherman (Chesterfield, Mo.) sent a wrist shot toward the net from above the left face-off circle that caromed off Pfeffer and past Amherst sophomore netminder Connor Girard (Bloomington, Minn.) 1:19 after the first break.  Bantam sophomore blue liner Connor Hegarty (Wakefield, Mass.) scored the next goal 1:11 later and fed junior forward Ryan Cole (Anchorage, Alaska) on another to give Trinity a 4-1 lead with 13:08 remaining in the middle frame. 

Vosejpka nearly pulled Amherst to within two late in the second period when he stole the puck from the Bantam defense and shot quick and high against Heilbron, but the Bantam backstop was equal to the task.  Trinity's back line held the Purple and White to just three shots in the final stanza, which was uneventful despite three Bantam penalties.  Girard finished with 27 saves, as Trinity outshot Amherst, 31-to-22, while the teams combined to go 0-for-8 on power plays.  Trinity hosts No. 11-ranked Williams on Friday, February 5with first-place in the NESCAC on the line.