Box Score MALDEN - Junior Brian Brown scored a power-play goal with just under three minutes remaining in the third period and then added an empty-netter in the final minute capping the Tufts men's hockey team's 3-1 win over Trinity College in the NESCAC season opener for both squads on Friday night at Valley Forum.
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| Mason Pulde made 38 saves in the season-opener Friday night |
Senior goalie Mason Pulde made 38 saves and the Jumbos held visiting Trinity to 0 for 6 on power plays as Tufts opened with a victory against the defending conference champion Bantams. Trinity had a 39-21 advantage in shots for the game, but Pulde was sharp including 15 saves in the middle stanza. He had 10 saves on Trinity power plays.
With the game tied at 1-1, Brown scored the go-ahead goal amidst a scrum in front of the net with 2:59 on the clock. Trinity pulled junior goalie Alex Morin with 1:29 remaining in the third, but Brown scored an insurance goal for Tufts 30 seconds later.
Trinity had struck first when senior Brandon Cole broke in two-on-one with freshman Liam Feeney. Cole kept the puck and slapped one past Pulde at 18:11 of the first period for a 1-0 Bantam lead.
Morin was on the spot to save an early chance by Jumbo freshman Anthony Farinacci from the left side of the goal to start the second period. However, the Jumbos would get the equalizer when another freshman Cooper Stahl scored in his first collegiate game at 6:01 of the second period to tie the score.
Pulde made perhaps his best save of the game during a Trinity power play in the final five minutes of the second period. Junior Anthony Sabitsky, the Bantams' scoring leader last year, was wide open while taking a pass from across the front of the goal, but Pulde lunged right to make the save.
Both goalies made big power-play stops during the third period. Pulde squelched an attempt by Trinity's Tyler Whitney and Morin stuffed a shot by Jumbo Nick Balboa who was on the doorstep.
The game went into the closing minutes still tied at 1-1 before Brown netted his pair to give Tufts the win.
Senior Sean Orlando and Sabitsky both won nine face-offs for Trinity, who held a small 35-33 edged in that category. Morin finished with 18 saves for the visitors, nine in the opening period.
The Jumbos were led by eight face-off wins against just one loss by junior Oliver Takacsi-Nagy, who also assisted the first Tufts goal.
Tufts returns to action tomorrow at home against Wesleyan in a 3 pm start at Valley Forum. Trinity moves on to Connecticut College for a 3 pm NESCAC game tomorrow.
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