Box Score
RUTLAND, VT - The Jumbos of Tufts University (3-1-1) earned a 6-3 victory over the Brockport Golden Eagles (3-7-1) Sunday afternoon at Spartan Arena in the consolation game of the Rutland Herald Invitational.
Dylan Plimmer (Phoenix, AZ) and Stewart Bell (Marietta, GA) led the Jumbo offense, each scoring a goal and dishing off two assists in a contest that was closer than the score suggests. Through the first two periods, the score was tied 3-3, but Tufts took over in the third, scoring three goals to seal their victory.
The Jumbos were the first to crack the scoreboard at the 3:54 mark in the first period. They broke out of their defensive zone as Bell passed the puck to Brian Ouellette (Arlington, MA) in the neutral zone. Ouellette skated with two Brockport players pushing him down towards the ice and back-handed a pass to Plimmer, who one-timed a shot underneath the pads of goalie Joe Reagan for the 1-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles scored on a power-play late in the first period at the 15:18 mark. Bobby Chayka took a hard slap shot from the far corner and the puck rattled around in front of the next before Chase Nieuwendyk tipped in the loose puck passed Jumbo goalie Brian Phillips (Colleyville, TX) to make it 1-1. The score would remain tied into the first intermission.
Tufts scored just 1:07 into the second period. Keith Campbell (Newark, DE) cycled the puck to Ouellette, who passed it to Derrek Schartz (Plano, TX) for a one-timer slapshot from inside the crease for his first goal of the season to take a 2-1 lead.
Brockport answered back quickly to even the score at 2-2. Scott Fasano wristed a shot into traffic that was initially blocked, but found its way to the pads of Phillips. The loose puck was picked up by Nieuwendyk and poked underneath the pads for his second goal of the contest.
Brockport took its first lead of the game at 10:28 of the second period on the squad's second power-play goal of the afternoon. Chayka received a pass from down low and sent it to the top of the point where Brendon Rothfuss ripped a slap shot pass the blocker of Phillips to take a 3-2 lead.
The Jumbos continued the back-and-forth action, answering with a goal of their own at 14:53 into the second period. Brockport turned the puck over at center ice along the boards where Plimmer took control. He found forward Kyle Gallegos (Westminster, CO) who skated in past a defender for the break-away and then held the puck long enough to freeze Reagan and wristed the puck over him to make it 3-3.
Tufts took over in the third period, scoring three goals while shutting out their opponents. Dom Granato (Pittsburgh, PA), Bell, and James Randaccio (Williamsville, NY) each notched a goal for the Jumbos in the final frame, pushing the score to 6-3.
Phillips finished the game with 34 stops, while Brockport netminder Joe Reagan turned away 22 shots. Plimmer was recognized for his stellar play with a spot on the Rutland Herald Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Tufts returns to action on Friday at Williams in a NESCAC game at 7 pm. Brockport travels to take on Morrisville the same day at 7 pm.
Game Box Score
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