The Middlebury men's ice hockey team battled #6 Hamilton to a scoreless tie, but the Continentals prevailed 3-2 in a six-round shootout on Saturday from Chip Kenyon '85 Arena.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers looked to strike early with 2:08 expired in the first period. Bobby May laced a spinning shot from the blue line that goalie Aksel Reid saved.
• The Continentals manufactured a quality chance two minutes later. Ryan Sordillo skated into the left circle and lifted a wrister that netminder Andrew Heinze snared with his glove.
• Middlebury produced a great opportunity at 15:52 of the stanza while on the power play. John Halverson sent a knuckling puck destined for the left side of the net, but Reid pushed across his crease and made the stop.
• Hamilton nearly took the lead with 2:13 showing on the clock. Trey Williams found space in the right circle, but Heinze squared up and denied the chance.
• The visitors had a pair of shots in quick succession with 3:20 expired in the middle frame, but Henize thwarted Vincent Gould's initial attempt from point-blank range before the second bid sailed over the crossbar.
• Hamilton continued its offensive zone pressure two minutes later, as a rifling attempt from Devon de Vries clanged up the right pipe.
• The Panthers recorded a quality look with 8:01 on the clock, as Cole Thomas skated into a bid from the right point that Reid saved.
• Reece Brednich collected a loose puck in the right circle and skated in 1-on-1 with Reid 3:06 into the third period, but the Continental goalie thwarted the opportunity.
• Middlebury nearly found the back of the net with 11:13 expired. James Schneid laced a wrist shot that whistled over Reid's shoulder and the bar.
• The sides earned opportunities in the waning minutes. Luc Malkhassian tried to shovel a shot inside the left post with 3:23 left that the Hamilton goalie denied, while Christian Wood blocked Carson Hall's chance from close range as the horn sounded.
• Skating 3-on-3 in the extra session, the Continentals had a delayed penalty and Heinze went to the bench for an extra skater for 1:06 of action. The Panthers recorded a pair of attempts before the penalty was enforced. With the penalty time winding down, shots by Jack Silverman and Jackson Morehouse seconds apart were saved by Reid on the left post.
• The Continentals fired a last-second chance when Connor Thue ripped a blast from the left circle, but Heinze guided the shot away, pushing the game to a shootout.
• After Noah Liebl missed the first attempt, May buried his in the back of the net to put the Panthers up 1-0.
• Makes from Hamilton's Luke Tchor and Middlebury's Caden Morgan gave the hosts a 2-1 advantage before de Vries buried his chance to knot the shootout at 2-2. 
• The opposing goalies saved the next four shots before Sordillo cashed in during the sixth round. Wishart worked down the center of the ice, lifting a bid that Reid denied to give the visitors a 3-2 decision.

NOTES

• Wood finished with a career-best six blocked shots.
• Heinze stopped all 31 shots he faced, marking the third time in the last five contests that the netminder has eclipsed the 30-save plateau. He also surpassed the 1,000-save mark in the navy and white sweater (1,009).
• The programs met for the 143rd matchup with the Panthers holding a 92-43-8 advantage in a series that began in 1924.

Middlebury has a break from competition for final exams and the holidays before returning to action on January 3 when it hosts #1 Hobart at 2:00 p.m.