MALDEN - The fourth-ranked Bowdoin College men's hockey team kept hold of first place in NESCAC with a 5-2 victory at Tufts on Friday night at Valley Forum II. Senior Jeff Fanning (Billerica, MA) paced the Polar Bears with two goals and an assist.
Bowdoin, which has won four in a row and eight of their last nine, improved to 11-2 overall and 8-2 in the league. Tufts dropped its seventh straight, falling to 4-9-1 overall and 3-7 in NESCAC.
Five unanswered Bowdoin goals from 8:25 of the first period to 9:56 of the second period put the visitors in control. Tufts had taken a 1-0 lead when freshman stand-out Kyle Gallegos (Westminster, CO) scored his 10th goal of the year 4:36 into the game. However, Bowdoin capitalized on the game's first penalty when sophomore Daniel Weiniger (Warren, NJ) netted his 13th on the the power play at 8:25. After Bowdoin killed off a minute-long 5-on-3 advantage for Tufts, Fanning scored the go-ahead goal on a short-handed break-away at 12:48 to give Bowdoin a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.
The Polar Bears scored three times in a span of 4:14 during the first half of the second period. Fanning's second of the game and 13th of the year at 5:42, a goal by freshman Harry Matheson (Kingston, ONT) at 7:05 and the first goal of the season by junior Trent Blossom (Concord, NH) at 9:56 put the Polar Bears in charge at 5-1. Tufts would cut the deficit by scoring six seconds into a powerplay, with sophomore Trevor John (Grosse Pointe, MI) depositing the goal at 10:48.
A scoreless third period saw Bowdoin dominate with 16 shots on net, all saved by Tufts junior Evin Koleini (Buffalo, NY). He had come in to replace starter Brian Phillips (Colleyville, TX) at 7:05 of the second period and made 23 saves on 24 shots. Phillips stopped 11 shots before he was removed.
Junior Richard Nerland (Calgary, ALB) earned his fifth win in the Bowdoin net, making 27 saves. He had 11 in the first period when the Jumbos had out-shot Bowdoin 12-9. In addition to Fanning offensively for the Polar Bears, Weiniger had a goal and an assist, junior Jordan Lalor (Needham, MA) tallied two assists and junior Graham Sisson (Chesterfield, MO) also finished with two assists.
Tufts hosts Colby College in another NESCAC game tomorrow at Valley Forum II beginning at 4 pm. Bowdoin moves on to play at Connecticut College tomorrow at 3 pm.
Game Box Score
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