Box Score
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Stewart Bell was one of three Jumbos with a goal and an assist in the game
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Recap courtesy of Castleton State College
RUTLAND, VT - Stewart Bell, Brendan Fadden and Kyle Gallegos all finished with a goal and an assist, and goalie Ryan Kellenberger made 35 saves as Tufts defeated the Castleton Spartans, 4-3, in the opening round of the Rutland Herald Invitational on Saturday at Spartan Arena.
Tufts earned their first win with the victory, improving to 1-5-0 on the season. The Jumbos will play for the tournament championship tomorrow at 3 pm against Manhattanville.
Tournament hosts Castleton outshot their opponents 37-29, but couldn't convert on their opportunities, falling for the third time this year, and moving to 3-3-1 on the season. Thomas Shelley made 25 saves for the Spartans.
In the first period, Tufts came out and put up the game's first goal. Patrick Lackey scored off a pass from Gallegos to put the Jumbos up 1-0. Keith Campbell was credited with an assist on the play as well.
The Spartans tied the game just 27 seconds later with a goal of their own. Chris Stachiw ripped a heater from the slot that beat Kellenberger to knot the game at 1-1. Will Laking and Colin Murray earned assists on the play.
With just under five minutes remaining, Tufts took the lead again with a goal from Fadden. The senior beat Shelley to put his team up 2-1 going into the first intermission.
In the second period, Tufts exended their lead with a goal from Gallegos. The senior beat a Spartan defender and slipped the puck past Shelley to give the Jumbos a two-goal lead. Three minutes later, the Spartans answered with a power play goal. Ryan Delorme ripped a shot from the right point that was flicked at the last minute by Ross Herzog just past the glove of Kellenberger and into the net. The Spartans went into the second intermission trailing 3-2.
In the third, Bell added the eventual game-winner for Tufts just over a minute into the frame. Bell had a rebound fly out to him at the point and the sophomore slotted it past Shelley's right side and into the net to put Tufts up 4-2.
Castleton did its best to work back into the game, and made it a one-goal margin with less than four minutes left. Herzog scored his second power play goal of the night, finishing a scrum in front of the net to cut Tufts' lead to 4-3. The Spartans pulled their goalie in the final minute in an attempt to tie the game, but it came to no avail as the Jumbos escaped with the one-goal win.
Castleton will play on Sunday at noon in the Rutland Herald Invitational consolation game against Brockport.
The Manhattanville team Tufts will play in the final was a 7-3 winner over Brockport in Saturday's other first-round game.
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