Brunswick, Maine - Sophomore defenseman Michael Grande (West Chester, Pa.) had a hat trick to lead the visiting Trinity College Bantams to a 5-1 victory over the Bowdoin College Polar Bears in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's ice hockey action this afternoon at Watson Arena.  Trinity, ranked No. 10 in the nation, improves to 9-3-2 overall and 5-2-1 in the NESCAC with its third win in a row.  Bowdoin drops to 5-7-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the league.  Trinity hosts NESCAC rival Tufts in its next game on Friday at 7:30 p.m., while the Polar Bears welcome Southern Maine for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday.

Bowdoin took an early lead 3:15 into the game. A Trinity defender controlled the puck in the Bantam's own zone, but Cody Todesco saw an opening and poked the puck off his stick and past Bantam junior goalie Tedy Loughborough (Wellesley, Mass.).  Playing short-handed seven minutes into the frame, Bowdoin's Albert Washco broke out of the Polar Bear zone and skated uncontested down the ice towards Loughborough. Washco tried to pull towards the right post, but was met by Loughborough's goalie pad.  The Bantams stepped up pressure in the final five minutes and peppered Polar Bear backstop Alex Zafonte. A scramble of players from both teams crowded the crease and Trinity sophomore defenseman James Callahan (Gladstone, N.J.) bounced a shot off the crossbar. Zafonte regained position and poked the rebound away.

Trinity evened the game with a power play goal 4:08 into the second. Junior captain defenseman Liam Feeney (Foxboro, Mass.) passed the puck from the right point to classmate Taggart Corriveau (New Britain, Conn.) low on the near side. Corriveau found freshman forward Lucas Michaud (South Portland, Maine) with a cross, allowing Michaud to go top shelf.  Sophomore blue liner Timothy Weinstein (Norwood, Mass.) put another Trinity shot off the crossbar in the second, before the Bantams took a 2-1 lead with 1:50 remaining in the frame. Sophomore forward Eric Benshadle (Buffalo, N.Y.) carried down the right boards and centered a pass to classmate Nicholas Polsinelli (Galloway, N.J.) for an open look at net. Polsinelli put an elevated shot past Zafonte.

Midway through the final frame, Grande ripped a slapshot from the right point to extend Trinity's lead to 3-1.  The Polar Bears nearly survived a five-on-three penalty kill, but Grande collected a loose puck along the left boards and circled to the high slot. Grande wristed a shot off the left pipe that ricocheted in.  Grande added an empty netter in the final four minutes.  Loughborough made 30 stops to improve to 5-2-1 for Trinity, while Zafonte ended the day with48 saves.  The Bantams went 2-for-5 on the power play while killing off all five of Bowdoin's chances with an extra skater.