Box Score Game recap courtesy of Trinity College
HARTFORD, CT – Junior defenseman Sam Johnson scored the game-winning goal 5:21 into the third period to lead the top-ranked and 2015 NCAA Champion Trinity College Bantams to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tufts University Jumbos in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's ice hockey action this evening at Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center.
The game was the first for the Jumbos under first-year head coach Pat Norton. For the second straight meeting between the teams, Tufts gave Trinity all it could handle.
Trinity, which saw its NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey National Championship banner unveiled over center ice in a pre-game ceremony, avenged its 2-1 home loss to the Jumbos in February's NESCAC Quarterfinal game from last season. The Bantams, who posted their fifth victory in a row, will host league rival Connecticut College tomorrow at 4 pm. Tufts visits Wesleyan tomorrow.
Trinity senior Nathaniel Heilbron and Tufts junior Mason Pulde combined for 18 saves in the scoreless first period, including an impressive stop by Heilbron against Jumbo sophomore Oliver Takacsi-Nagy midway through the frame.
Junior forward Ethan Holdaway gave Trinity a 1-0 lead 1:45 into the second period with a power-play goal from classmate Ryan Cole, but Tufts tied it when junior forward Matt Pugh slapped in a shot during a Jumbo power play with 35 seconds left before the second break. However, with nine ticks remaining in the middle period, Bantam sophomore forward Tyler Whitney was tripped from behind on a breakaway and converted on the ensuing penalty shot to give the home team a 2-1 lead entering the final stanza.
Jumbo freshman forward David Lackner tied the game a second time 3:57 into the third period, stealing the puck from the Trinity defense and depositing a short-handed goal over Heilborn's right shoulder. Johnson tallied the game-winner with a slapshot from the top of the right face-off circle that made its way through several skaters from both teams and past Pulde to the net three seconds after a five-minute Bantam power play had ended.
Heilbron finished with 17 saves and Pulde had 36, as the Bantams more than doubled the Jumbo shot total, 39-19. The teams combined for 49 minutes in penalties but were 2-for-15 between them with the extra skater.
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