AMHERST — Two days after falling 1-0, the Amherst hockey team flipped the script in its 1-0 victory against Easthampton on Thursday at Orr Rink.

Ben Remensnyder scored midway through the third period as the alternate captain helped the hosts avenge a defeat to Ludlow on Tuesday. The Hurricanes moved to 4-3-1 following Thursday's bout.

“I was coming up, I think I wheeled it and there wasn't anyone there so I kind of skated up, went around one player and things just kind of happened, shot it low corner,” Remensnyder said. 

Amherst's junior defenseman took the open ice in front of him after corralling a loose puck and skated nearly the entire sheet before finding twine at 7 minutes, 58 seconds of the third off the rush.

“He played a better game than he did against Ludlow, I think,” Hurricanes head coach Mike Rousseau said. “He was pressing against Ludlow, trying to do way too much. We had a conversation before practice the other day, let the game come to him, and he di. And I told him, take the ice that's given to you, he took the ice that's given to him and again, this is what he can do.”

Remensnyder's third goal of the season deflated the Eagles, which had their chances throughout the game, but ultimately couldn't break through as they dropped to 0-4-1 on the season.

“We had our opportunities, we certainly had chances, but I think we lost the neutral zone and when you lose the neutral zone you lose the hockey game, so that's the way it goes,” Easthampton head coach Tim Pfau said. “We didn't have clean puck possession at all tonight, that's what led to that, but we had opportunities.”

Spencer McDonald, Amherst's senior goalie, earned his first shutout of the season for the Hurricanes after making 33 saves.

Amherst came into the game with a more aggressive forechecking approach than usual, and Rousseau said he switched back to the passive style during the third period, which yielded better results for the Hurricanes.

“It gives our speed guys a little bit more opportunity to get some offensive chances,” Rousseau said on opting with the aggressive style at first. “Too tentative. Coach Pfau, who I've known for years… he's a tactician, he knew how to beat that and he did. So we had to do that adjustment, which worked out in our favor.”

Offense has been hot and cold for the Eagles so far this season. During their first two games of the year, they combined for just two goals, however in the two games that followed, they put 10 total pucks in the net.

“Scoring is not an issue, this team is very skilled, we can put the puck in the net, it's just, are we going to show up that night and do it,” Pfau said. 

Pfau highlighted Parker Christy, Jae'vian Lopez, Wyatt Hunter and Robert Herman as Eagles players whose games he liked versus Amherst.

Thursday's win kept Amherst undefeated in the Fay/Wright Division at 3-0-1. With a bunch of league games on the horizon, the Hurricanes will look to stay perfect for as long as possible moving forward.

“Well we got to keep the momentum going obviously, we don't want to slow down against Taconic,” Remensnyder said.

Amherst plays Taconic next Wednesday in Pittsfield. Easthampton will try and pick up its first win against Chicopee on Saturday.