The Middlebury men's hockey team earned crucial points in the NESCAC standings, skating to a 2-2 tie against Hamilton on Friday in Chip Kenyon '85 Arena. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Continentals nearly got on the scoreboard with 4:41 expired in the opening period, but a shot from Sean McAvoy hit the crosspipe and caromed away.
• Middlebury answered just nine seconds later, as an initial shot from EMack Bentley was saved by Hamilton goalie Jack Grant. The rebound came to the right post where Andrew Malatesta shoveled in the puck for his first goal of the season for the 1-0 edge.
• The visitors nearly tied the contest late in the period, but consecutive shots from point-blank range by Ryan Brown and Alex Danis were saved by the pads of Panther netminder Jake Horoho.
• Hamilton knotted the contest at 1-1 with 4:05 elapsed in the second stanza. Cameron Miranda skated onto a loose puck just inside the blueline and sent a rising shot that found space in the upper-left corner of the net.
• Middlebury had a good scoring opportunity with just over a minute left, but a wrister by Chris Garbe between the circles was snared by Grant's glove.
• Skating on the powerplay just 1:36 into the third period, Hamilton nearly took the lead but Grisha Gotovets' rising shot on an open net sailed high.
• The Panthers regained the lead (2-1) with exactly 5:00 left in regulation when John Burdett collected a loose puck a step inside the blueline. Burdette sent a blast into the left side of the net for his first goal as a Panther.
• Looking for the equalizer, Hamilton pulled Grant with 1:09 left in the period in favor of the extra skater. Following a timeout, the Continentals tied the game (2-2) when Gotovets tapped in his own rebound just outside the crease to send the game to overtime.
• Skating three-on-three in the extra session, Hamilton possessed the puck for the first three minutes before an odd-man rush saw Michael Fairfax's shot from the right circle saved by Grant with 2:02 left.
• Middlebury had one final chance with just over a minute remaining, but Garbe's slapshot from the right dot was denied by a glove save from Grant to preserve the 2-2 tie.

NOTES

• The goals by Malatesta and Burdette give the Panthers 17 different players who have scored at least once this season.
• Bentley tied a career high for assists in a game on Friday, picking up a helper on each of Middlebury's goals.
• The Panthers and Hamilton played for the 136th time in a series that dates back to the 1924-25 season with Middlebury holding a 91-37-8 advantage. 

The Panthers wrap up the regular season on Saturday with a home contest against Amherst.