WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – In a wild back-and-forth affair between Little Three rivals, the Wesleyan men's hockey team played to a 3-3 tie on Saturday afternoon against the Ephs. This marks the first tie of the season for the Cardinals (6-2-1, 4-1-1 NESCAC) who have played to overtime in four of the past five games. Williams (3-8-1, 2-5-1 NESCAC) snaps a five-game losing stream but remains winless in their last six.
 
Wesleyan held a one-goal lead three times in this one, only to see Williams answer back with a game-tying tally all three times including in the final minute of both the second and third periods. Nicholas Rashkovsky's goal with 49 seconds left sent the game into overtime where each side had their chances in the 3-on-3 extra session but none resulting in the game-winner.
 
Taking a 1-0 lead just 5:13 into play, it was Jake Lachance '23 who skated with the puck in the Cardinal defensive end. Looking up-ice, Lachance spotted Kyle Anderson '24 open at the opposite blue line. Finding him with the pass, Anderson took the puck in-stride and wristed home a goal past Evan Ruschil's glove side.
 
Just under eight minutes later, Williams answered back as a shot from Ethan Prout at the point was saved initially by Marc Smith '24 but the rebound fell right in front to Mac Carso who nudged home the equalizer.
 
The Cardinals retook the lead late in the second on the power play as Owen Sweet '25 deflected home a pass that came from Emmet Powell '23 at the point. Lachance sent a d-to-d pass to his linemate Powell at the near side. Taking his time, Powell fire a puck towards traffic in front of Ruschil's goal and Sweet managed to get a stick and redirect the go-ahead goal.
 
A back-breaking late Ephs goal with just 7.9 seconds remaining in the second meant it was a tied score after two instead of a 2-1 Wesleyan lead. Carso kept the puck in the Cardinals' end of the rink and fed Connor Berg who dished down to Sean Clarke just below the faceoff circle. His quick wrister caught Smith off-guard and found the back of the net to make it 2-2 entering the third.
 
With the clock winding under eight minutes to play, Lachance made something happen once again as he carried in over the blue line and leaving a drop pass for Go Uemura '23. The senior sent a quick wrister in on net that was initially dealt with by Ruschil but the rebound fell to Wiggle Kerbrat '23 who beat his defender to the net, managing to slide home the go-ahead goal with just 7:22 remaining.
 
With 1:36 remaining, Williams pulled Ruschil to get an extra skater on the ice looking for an equalizer. As the clock wound under one minute, the Ephs managed to find a last-minute goal with Rashkovsky deflecting home a shot from Berg that came from the far side boards.
 
In the five-minute overtime period. Wesleyan had all three shots-on-goal saved by Ruschil while the Ephs' Faisal Al-Sair hit the pipe as both sides had their fair share of chances but none resulted in goals.
 
Lachance assisted on all three Cardinal goals, giving him a career-high three points and his first career three-assist game. Lachance now has a team-leading eight assists on the season, all of which have come in the past six games.
 
Kerbrat ups his team-leading goal and point totals on the season as the senior now has eight goals and 13 points in nine games. Kerbrat has also registered at least one point in all nine games thus far on the season. Combined with last season, Kerbrat is on a 10-game point streak.
 
Smith made 28 saves in net for the Cardinals while he remains unbeaten at 3-0-1 in his four starts on the campaign.
 
Wesleyan finishes off a three-game road swing on Tuesday night as the Cardinals travel to take on Anna Maria at 5:40 PM.