At 4:23 of overtime, Jeffrey Natale skated down the right wing and wristed a shot into the top of the net to give Trinity a 3-2 overtime win over Colby in a NESCAC semifinal matchup.
Trinity will take on Middlebury, a 5-3 winner over Hamilton, in the championship on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Trinity took a 1-0 lead late in the first period when Brendan Timmins’ shot from the right wing deflected into the net.
It was still a 1-0 at the 17:00 mark of the second period when Trinity netminder Douglas Kiselius stacked the pads for a great save on Patrick Walsh. But just a few seconds later, Colby’s Ross MacMillan won a faceoff back to Brock Barton at the left point. Barton’s wrister found the back of the net as Kiselius was screened on the shot.
The game remained a 1-1 tie, with Colby holding a 20-12 shot advantage after two periods. Colby took its first lead of the game just 1:06 into the third period as Brian Chisholm found an open Jake Bayley in the slot; Bayley wristed it into the net.
The Bantams tied the game at 9:08. Cameron Finch took advantage of a giveaway right in front of the Colby net, finishing the play to tie the game at two.
The White Mules had a chance to regain the lead at 12:30, but Kevin Hathway’s rocket from the left win hit the pipe. Neither team could muster a goal in the final 7:30, forcing the game into overtime.
Kiselius made 29 saves for Trinity, while J.D. Hadiaris made 14 stops for Colby. The White Mules outshot the Bantams 31-17 on the night.
