BOSTON, Mass. – Fourth-ranked Amherst College scored twice in the third period to break open a 1-0 game and defeat the St. Olaf College women's hockey team by a 3-0 margin on the opening day of the Codfish Bowl on Saturday afternoon at Edward T. Barry Ice Rink.

After getting a goal from Bea Flynn midway through the first period, Amherst (6-0-0) pulled away in the third period behind two goals from Ayla Abban to blank St. Olaf (2-7-1) in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. With the win, the Mammoths advanced to the championship game against host UMass-Boston, which topped Manhattanville University by a 5-3 score in the first game of the day, on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. CT.

The Oles, who were playing their sixth game against a nationally-ranked team out of 10 games this season, will face Manhattanville in the consolation game on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. Five of the six games St. Olaf has played against nationally-ranked teams have been against squads ranked in the top five.

Flynn gave Amherst the only goal it would need with an unassisted tally at 9:15 of the opening period, which saw the Mammoths hold a slender 10-7 edge in shots on goal. Flynn's goal came just 13 seconds after a Ole power play expired.

Amherst outshot St. Olaf by a 17-5 margin in shots on goal in the second period, but junior Hannah Fritz kept the deficit at 1-0 after two by stopping all 17 Amherst efforts on frame. Fritz recorded 37 saves in her first start of the season for the Oles.

Abban gave the Mammoths breathing room midway through the third before adding a power-play goal inside the final five minutes. Natalie Stott logged the shutout for Amherst with an 18-save performance.