Box Score MALDEN - Freshmen scored all three goals and senior goalie Mason Pulde stopped 35 shots for the fourth shutout of his career as the Tufts University hockey team won 3-0 against Becker College Tuesday night at Valley Forum.
The Jumbos improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2000-01 season with the victory. Becker dropped to 2-6 with their fifth loss in a row.
The Hawks had some early momentum helped by Jumbo penalties. Becker went on a power-play just 55 seconds into the game, but couldn't capitalized. They were then awarded a penalty shot at 12:40 of the first following a tripping call on Tufts. Pulde saved the shot by Becker's Connor Merrick.
The action was brisk over the first 20 minutes, but the teams went to the first intermission tied 0-0. Pulde had 14 saves at the break, while Hawk freshman Grant Martens made 15.
The Jumbos would take a 1-0 lead at 3:03 of the second period as freshman Blake McIntyre scored his first collegiate goal. Assists went to classmate Anthony Farinacci and junior Brian Brown. Both would have multiple helpers in the game.
Martens kept it at 1-0 with the best save of the game seven minutes into the second. Brown and Farinacci broke in two-on-one, but Martens made the stop on Farinacci's shot.
Freshman Cooper Stahl would put the Jumbos ahead 2-0 with a power-play goal at 14:51 of the second period as Farinacci and Brown assisted again. The Jumbos would finish the middle stanza with 23 shots on goal. Martens stopped 21 of them.
Two Becker penalties 11 seconds apart would give Tufts a five-on-three advantage for 1:49 early in the third period. It didn't take long for them to add to their lead as freshman Tyler Scroggins netted his first collegiate goal 13 seconds into the two-man advantage for a 3-0 Jumbo margin. Brown had his third assist of the game on the goal.
After making 16 saves in the second period, Pulde cruised to the shutout in the third facing just five shots. Martens was solid in goal for Becker with 46 stops. Jumbo senior Matt Pugh and Becker freshman Trey McMillen both led their teams with three blocked shots.
At the face-off circle, Hawks junior Corey Sherman won a game-high 15 draws while senior Connor Allison took 13. Scroggins led the Jumbos with 13 wins.
Tufts returns to action on Friday when they play Brockport at Castleton's Rutland Herald Invitational. Becker next plays Colby on Saturday at 1 pm.
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