Box Score AMHERST, Mass. – The Bowdoin men's ice hockey team advances to the NESCAC Championship for the first time in nine years following a 3-1 win over Colby in the semifinals.
 
The Polar Bears (14-9-3) advance to the program's eighth NESCAC Championship appearance and its first since 2014. The Mules (13-11-2) had not lost to Bowdoin since December 2015 and carried an 11-0-1 record since that time against the Polar Bears. Bowdoin improves to a 3-0-0 advantage over the Mules in NESCAC post-season matchups.
 
Game Highlights

• The teams played fast back-and-forth hockey through the first period. Alex Kozic turned away all 11 shots he faced during the first period. Seven minutes in, Ryan Doolin fired a one-timer from directly in front of the net off a right-side feed. Kozic also stood firm as the Mules peppered the puck around him with three minutes remaining.
• Colby took a 1-0 lead 4:11 into the second period. A Bowdoin turnover in the defensive end put the puck on Doolin's stick. Doolin skated center and backhanded a pass to Alex Bourhas on the left post. Bourhas put a shot on pads and Kozic bobbled the rebound. Carter Breitenfeldt came through and finished off the play.
• Bowdoin responded just under halfway into the frame. Andy Stoneman controlled the puck behind the net and made a pass from the left side to Bobby Murray in the slot. Murray received, drifted down between the circles, and put the puck through the pads.
• The Polar Bears took their first lead of the game 7:29 into the final period. Chris Brown skated down the right hand boards and fed Patrick Callahan at center ice. Callahan skated into the zone and ripped a forehand shot to the far right post.
• Joe Alexander capped the game with an empty-net goal in the final 1:29 as he flipped the puck up and over both teams from the Polar Bear zone, into the Colby net.

By the Numbers

• Kozic made 33 saves to earn the win in net for Bowdoin.
• Andy Beran made 28 stops for Colby.
• For only the second time in program history, Bowdoin played a game with zero penalties committed by either team. The only other Polar Bear matchup to result in zero penalty minutes was against Salem State in 1984.
• Colby held a narrow 30-28 advantage on the faceoff dot.

Up Next

• Bowdoin advances to the NESCAC Championship for the eighth time in program history and looks for its third conference crown tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. The Polar Bears will play the winner of Amherst/Williams at Amherst.