Box Score MALDEN - Sophomore Conal Lynch and freshmen Scott Majkowski and Oliver Takacsi-Nagy all recorded a goal and an assist as Tufts Hockey earned its first victory of the season, 5-0, in non-conference play against Becker College tonight at Valley Forum.
Sophomore goalie Mason Pulde made 22 saves to earn his first collegiate shutout. The shutout is also the first by the Jumbos since a 2-0 victory at Wentworth on January 15, 2013.
Tufts, which improved to 1-3-1, outshot the Hawks 43-22 including 13-3 in the first period. The Jumbos would score three times in the third period to pull away. Becker (1-7), which lost its seventh straight game, got 38 saves from junior goalie Greg Hussey.
A turnover at the Becker blue line led to the first Jumbo goal just 1:43 into the game. Takacsi-Nagy and Majkowski went in alone on Hussey with Majkowski scoring into an open net after the pass. Hussey would make 12 first-period saves to keep the Becker deficit at one after 20 minutes.
The Jumbos scored early again in the second as Hussey was unable to stop junior tri-captain Stewart Bell's shot at 4:58 for a 2-0 Tufts lead. Pulde wasn't tested seriously, but he was solid with nine saves in the second period helping Tufts bring the two-goal margin into the third.
Again Tufts capitalized in the first quarter of the period as Lynch picked the top left corner of the net at 4:34 to put Tufts up 3-0. Not long after Tufts killed one of Becker's three power plays, Takacsi-Nagy got into the act with his first collegiate goal at 16:32 for a 4-0 Jumbo advantage.
The Hawks were whistled for a hitting from behind penalty after the goal was scored and Tufts would take advantage of the man-up less than a minute later. Sophomore Matt Pugh closed the scoring at 17:29 for a 5-0 Tufts lead.
Pulde stopped 10 Becker shots in the third to complete the shutout.
The Jumbos won't even break for the holiday as they return to the ice on Friday at Castleton's Rutland Herald Invitational. Tufts plays Brockport State at 3:45 pm in the opening round. Becker, led by four shots on goal each by freshman James Wallace and sophomore Matt Pietrzykowski tonight, hosts Worcester State on Friday at 7.
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