Box Score HARTFORD, CT - Two-time defending NESCAC champion and #4 ranked Trinity College skated to a 5-1 victory over Tufts University in the 2017-18 conference and season-opener for both men's hockey teams on Friday night at the Koeppel Community Sports Center.
|
| Antony Farinacci scored the lone Jumbo goal |
Eric Benshadle, Anthony Sabitsky and Ryan Pfeffer all had a goal and an assist for the Bantams (1-0), who were NCAA finalists a year ago. Sophomore Anthony Farinacci scored the lone Tufts goal.
The Bantams came out flying, out-shooting Tufts 23-6 in the first period. They took a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of play on goals by Tyler Whitney and Dylan Healey. Tufts senior goalie Nik Nugnes made 21 saves in the frame to help the Jumbos stay close.
Tufts nearly cut into the lead with 3:39 remaining in the first period when freshman Charley Borek found himself alone with just Trinity senior goalie Alex Morin to beat. Borek played a toe-drag and tried to dump a backhander past Morin, but the netminder stuffed him to keep Tufts off the board.
The Jumbos did pull within one (2-1) as Farinacci scored on a power play off an assist from classmate Tyler Scroggins at 7:22 of the middle stanza. Scroggins fed Farinacci at the high-slot and he fired a wrist shot past the glove of Morin and into the top shelf of the net.
However, the Bantams got it back on an extra-man goal of their own by Sabitsky with a little more than four minutes remaining in the second. It was the Jumbos with a 9-6 advantage in shots for the period, but the hosts took a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
Tufts again was equal to the task in terms of opportunities in the third period as shots would end up 9-9. However, they could not get any closer as the period wore on with the same 3-1 score. The Bantams then put a nail in it with goals 1:44 apart by Benshadle and Pfeffer late in the third for a 5-1 advantage.
James Callahan and Liam Feeney both had a pair of assists for Trinity. Sabitsky won 13 face-offs and Mark Knowlton finished 11 for 14 at the dot. The Bantams won 40 of 69 draws overall. Morin saved 23 of Tufts' 24 shots in goal. The hosts held a 38-24 margin in shots.
Nugnes finished with 32 saves in the Jumbo net. Freshman Drew Hotte made his collegiate debut playing a 3:33 spurt in the second period and saving one shot. Freshman Mason Babbidge won eight face-offs for the Jumbos in his college debut.
Tufts will continue on to play Wesleyan in NESCAC action tomorow afternoon at 3 p.m. The Bantams have a 4:00 home contest versus Connecticut College tomorrow.
Parts of this release courtesy of Trinity College
#
