NEW LONDON, CT - Senior co-captain Stewart Bell and junior Patrick Lackey both scored twice as the Tufts Hockey team scored its most goals in six years with an 8-1 NESCAC victory at Connecticut College on Saturday night.
Combined with a 4-1 home victory over the Camels on Friday night, Tufts sweeps the weekend series and picks up four important points in the conference standings. The Jumbos jumped into seventh place in the league with 12 points (4-6-4) while improving to over .500 at 8-7-5 overall. They are 3-1-1 in their last five.
Connecticut College was eliminated from NESCAC playoff contention with the loss. They remain winless in the league (0-12-2) and fell to 3-15-2 overall.
Bell scored with seven seconds remaining in the first period giving the Jumbos a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Lackey had tallied his first at 9:27 of the opening frame. Sophomore Nick Flanagan had his seventh assist of the year on the Bell goal. The Jumbos posted a 15-9 shots advantage in the opening 20 minutes.
The hosts were whistled for a penalty immediately in the second period and the Jumbos made them pay as freshman Clay Berger scored his first collegiate goal nine seconds in for a 3-0 Tufts lead. Bell added a power-play goal at 10:43 of the second and junior defenseman Sean Kavanagh followed with another goal at 12:25 and the Jumbos were well on their way up 5-0. Junior Matt Pugh had two second-period assists.
Connecticut College got on the scoreboard when Tim DiPretoro netted his 12th goal of the year with just under six minutes remaining in the second period making it a 5-1 game with a power-play strike. The Jumbos led 25-14 in shots after 40 minutes.
Tufts turned it into a rout in the third. Lackey scored his second at 8:12 and sophomore Chad Goldberg (goal, assist) put the Jumbos up 7-1 just 52 seconds later at 9:04. Freshman defenseman Nick Abbene finsihed the scoring at 12:30 of the third.
The eight goals are the most by the Jumbos since an 8-5 win over Wesleyan on February 5, 2010. Five Tufts players finished with multiple points, including Abbene with a goal and an assist. Tufts out-shot the Camels 37-19 for the game.
Connecticut College starting goalie Tom Conlin made 27 saves in 48:58 of action. He was relieved by Austin Essery who stopped two shots the rest of the way. Sophomore Nik Nugnes stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced in the Tufts net.
Tufts travels to play at sixth-place Amherst and third-place Hamilton in a pair of important conference games next weekend. The Camels, Tufts' travel parter, play at Hamilton and Amherst as well.
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