MALDEN - Colby forward Ben Chwick capped a four-point night by netting a rare penalty shot goal with five minutes remaining to lift the Mules to a 4-1 victory over Tufts at Valley Forum on Friday night.
With his team hanging on to a 2-1 lead late in the third period, Chwick stole a Tufts pass and escaped on a breakaway before getting tripped up by a Tufts defender to draw the penalty shot opportunity. The senior forward made the most of his chance, making a nice move to his backhand to cash in on his second goal of the night and put the game out of reach at 3-1. Chwick was the star offensively for the Mules, finishing the night with two goals and two assists.
Colby senior forward Jack Bartlett added an empty net goal just before time expired to bring the final score to 4-1. The Mules are now 11-9-3 on the season and sit in fifth place in the NESCAC with an 8-8-1 conference record. With the loss, the Jumbos fall to 3-19-1 and 1-15-1 in the NESCAC.
Despite the 4-1 final, both teams battled hard in the first two periods. The Jumbos came out strong in the game's opening minutes, generating several quality chances on a power play opportunity less than 60 seconds into action.
Their best chance to score came just minutes later, when freshman forward Matt Pugh fired a centering pass from the right circle that nearly connected with junior forward George Pantazopoulos in front of the net.
Despite Tufts' early pressure, it would be the Mules who got on the board first with a goal from Chwick at the 12:51 mark of the first period. Chwick's score was the result of strong puck movement in the offensive zone for Colby, as Jack Bartlett took the puck near the left circle and fired a sharp pass that found Chwick on the right doorstep for the tap-in goal.
Tufts was able to slow the Mules' momentum and kill a power play with seven minutes remaining in the first to keep the score at 1-0 heading into the first intermission.
The Jumbos finally found their offensive rhythm early in the second period, generating several quality chances that eventually led to a goal by freshman forward Conal Lynch at the 13:33 mark that knotted the score at 1-1. After a Colby turnover in the neutral zone, Lynch took a short pass from sophomore forward Luke Griffin and sped up the right side before tucking a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net for the equalizing goal.
The Mule attack wasted little time responding, however, regaining their lead just five minutes later with a goal from senior forward Nick Lanza at the 7:57 mark of the second period. Lanza's goal was the result of a strong play by Chwick, who weaved his way around a pair of Tufts defenders towards the net. The puck finally hopped off Chwick's stick, but Lanza was waiting to flip a wrist shot into the right side of the net to give Colby a 2-1 advantage.
Colby nearly extended its lead on a shorthanded opportunity with under two minutes remaining in the period, but Tufts goaltender
Greg Jenkins made a pair of nice stops to keep the score at 2-1 heading into the final frame.
Despite a handful of quality chances from the Jumbos early in the third period, the score remained at 2-1 until the 5:05 mark of the frame, when a tripping call set up Chwick's penalty shot heroics.
Tufts made one last rush in the game's final minutes, going on the power play after a Colby penalty and pulling their goalie with two minutes to go to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Mule goaltender Sam Parker was up to the challenge, however, making a series of timely saves to keep the Jumbos off the board and secure the victory.
Parker stopped 28 shots on the night, while Jenkins made 24 saves on 27 shots for the Jumbos.
