Hartford, Conn. – Senior defenseman Zander Masucci (Far Hills, N.J.) scored the game-winning goal 27 seconds into overtime and added an assist to lead the visiting Williams College Ephs to a 5-4 win over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's ice hockey action this evening at Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center.  Trinity, ranked No. 4 in the nation, falls to 14-4-1 overall and 10-3 in the NESCAC with its first loss in eight games and its first conference loss in the Koeppel Center since February 1, 2014.  No. 9-ranked Williams, which downed Trinity, 3-2, on January 9 in Williamstown, improves to 14-1-1 overall and takes over first place in the league with a 10-2-1 conference mark on its fourth consecutive victory.  Trinity had been 18-0-1 in its previous 19 NESCAC home tilts prior to tonight's loss.

Trinity took a 2-0 lead after the first period on a power-play goal by junior forward Sean Orlando (Ivyland, Pa.) and an even-strength tally by classmate Ethan Holdaway (Glastonbury, Conn.) with just 32 seconds left before the first break.  Williams, which doubled up Trinity in shots on goal in the opening stanza, 12-6, took just two in the second frame and nine the rest of the game.  Trinity nearly took a 3-0 lead in the second when a shot by senior forward Michael Hawkrigg (Toronto, Ontario) was saved by Eph freshman goaltender Michael Pinios (Montreal, Quebec) and sat just in front of the red line for a brief moment before a Williams defenseman could knock it away.  Hawkrigg hit the post with another shot in the middle period with 12 minutes on the clock, but the Ephs cut the Trinity lead in half at the 11:19 mark when junior forward George Hunkele (West Haven, Conn.) scored on a power play.

Williams scored three times in third stanza, as sophomore forward David Italiano (Toronto, Ontario) tied it at 2-2 7:30 after the second break.  Trinity answered on the ensuing face-off, as Holdaway fed sophomore forward Tyler Whitney (Wakefield, Mass.) ahead of the Eph defense and Whitney beat Pinios one-on-one to give the Bantams back the lead.  Williams completed the three-goal, 42-second stretch, however, when Italiano and junior forward Tyler Young (Sayville, N.Y.) fed rookie forward Roberto Cellini (Montreal, Quebec) on a goal with 11:48 left in regulation.  The Ephs tied the contest at 4-all  on Hunkele's second tally of the game with 4:09 on the clock, but the Bantams forced the extra session with senior goalie Nathaniel Heilborn (West Vancouver, British Columbia) pulled for the additional skater.  Junior defenseman T.J. Sherman (Chesterfield, Mo.) blasted a shot from above the left face-off circle that was tipped past Pinios by sophomore forward Anthony Sabitsky (Sicklerville, N.J.) with 54 seconds left. 

Trinity freshman forward Ross Mandigo (Stowe, Vt.) got off the first shot of overtime, but Pinios made the save and Young assisted Masucci on the clincher moments later.  Heilbron finished with 16 saves and Pinios stopped 29 shots, as the Bantams finished with a 33-to-21 shooting advantage.  Italiano was the leading point-scorer with a goal and two assists, while Young and Sherman had two helpers for Williams and Trinity, respectively.  Trinity comes right back tomorrow with a 4 p.m. home game against Middlebury and the Ephs visit Wesleyan.