Amherst scored three-unanswered goals in the final 15 minutes of play to pick up a 4-1 win over Middlebury (3-19-2, 3-15-0) in the season finale for the Panthers. The Purple & White (14-6-3, 9-6-3) will take part in the NESCAC Quarterfinals next weekend. Middlebury goaltender Brian Ketchabaw made a career-high 44 saves in the game.

Amherst's David White netted his ninth score of the season 11:31 into the opening period to give the Purple & White a 1-0 lead. Up two skaters following back-to-back Middlebury penalties, Noah Gilreath gathered the puck at the middle of the blue line to start the scoring play, sending a stick-to-stick pass to Patrick Daly on the left dot. Dishing a cross-ice pass, Daly connected with White on the opposite dot who one-timed a low, hard shot into the nylon.

Both sides saw opportunities in the final three minutes of the stanza, with Middlebury's Sunho Park making a bid to even the score with 2:16 on the clock. Racing into the zone on a three-on-two, Park powered a slap shot on from inside the left circle, but Amherst goaltender Adam Ellison recorded the kick save.

Amherst responded two minutes later when White collected an indirect pass at center ice to earn a clear path toward the net. Entering the offensive end on a breakaway, White deked to his backhand and sent a shot on target, however Ketchabaw came up with the clutch glove save to keep the Panther deficit at one.

The Panthers threatened once again with time winding down, controlling momentum with 10 seconds remaining in the period. Nearly tallying the equalizer, Vincent Gisonti corralled a pass on the far post and tried to slide a shot over the goal line, but Ellison slid across the crease and got his pad on the shot, while Gilreath blocked Travis Stephens' attempt on the rebound as the buzzer sounded.

Registering one of Amherst's best chances of the second period, Phil Johansson tested Ketchabaw at the 9:23 mark as the Purple & White tried to take advantage of a three-on-two. Rifling a shot on net from the top of the left circle, Ketchabaw proved up to the task, smothering Johansson's attempt.

In a close call for the Purple & White, Greg Conrad almost scored his fifth goal of the year with 2:24 to play, as he gathered a drop pass in the high slot and ripped a wrist shot on frame, but his attempt rang off the left post.

Knotting the score at 1-1 with 14:34 to play in regulation, Mitchell Allen scored his fifth goal of the season for the Panthers. Putting a shot on net from point-blank range, Joey Piccinini found his own rebound, skated around the net and hit Allen with a pass on the post for the goal

Retaking the lead 14 seconds later, Joey Lupo teamed up with Jack Fitzgerald to make it a 2-1 contest. Stealing the puck behind the goal on the forecheck, Lupo dished a pass to Fitzgerald in the low slot before he quickly one-timed a shot into the goal.

Extending Amherst's lead to 3-1 with 10:28 on the clock, Stanley Brenner snuck behind the Panther defense, gathered a pass from Max Roche after a turnover at the blue line, and roofed a backhand shot into the net.

Daly recorded the final goal for the Purple & White at the 10:03 mark, skating the length of the ice and beating Ketchabaw glove side to help lift Amherst to the 4-1 victory.