BOX SCORE

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Bowdoin College (15-5-1, 12-4-1 NESCAC) got a pair of goals just 20 seconds apart midway through the third period to break open a tight game and go on for a 5-2 victory over Wesleyan University (7-14, 4-13) in men's ice hockey action Saturday. The Bowdoin win, coupled with losses by both Amherst and Williams, puts Bowdoin alone in first place in the NESCAC standings with just two league contests remaining.

Bowdoin will host St. Anselm Fri., Feb. 19 and New England College Sat., Feb. 20 to close out the regular season. Wins in both games would lock up the top seed in the upcoming NESCAC tournament and home-ice advantage throughout for the Polar Bears. Wesleyan failed to qualify for the NESCAC tournament.

After Bowdoin top goal-getter junior Jeff Fanning netted his 12th goal of the campaign at 5:32 of the second period to break a 1-1 tie, the Polar Bears carried a tenuous 2-1 lead into the final stanza. Fanning's goal, with the teams skating 4-on-4, came on a low shot from the left circle after a sharp pass from the right point by senior Leland Fidler. A low point shot from senior Mike Corbelle at 10:33 of the third period proved to be the game-winner as his shot through a screen on the power play got past Wesleyan senior goalie Tim Archibald (34 saves) to give Bowdoin a 3-1 cushion. At 10:53, Bowdoin made it 4-1 as a 2-on-1 situation resulted in Fanning's second goal of the game and 13th of the year.

The Cardinals got one back at 15:50 when an intended shot by senior Sam Robinson from the middle of the right circle ended up a slow pass to the slot where a waiting sophomore Brett Bandazian kept the puck on its way into the net for his seventh goal this year. Wesleyan pulled Archibald with about two minutes remaining and Bowdoin, which had a man-advantage at the time, scored into an empty net just 11 seconds later with junior Brendan Reich doing the honors, his eight goal of the season.

Bowdoin had taken a 1-0 lead at 8:45 of the first period with its first of three power-play goals on the afternoon. Archibald had made a nice pad save but the rebound sat loose in front and sophomore Graham Sisson was the first to get to it and put it home for his eighth goal of the campaign. Wesleyan responded at 16:07, scoring a 4-on-4 goal as freshman John Guay hit freshman Chris MacDonald in the left circle from the right side and MacDonald found a spot just inside the far post along the ice past senior goalie Chris Rossi (18 saves) to tally his second seasonal goal.

Bowdoin improved its win streak vs. Wesleyan to four games and its unbeaten string to 11 (9-0-2) since last losing to the Cardinals Dec. 5, 1998. Bowdoin is 13-2-2 all-time vs. Wesleyan.