Box Score MALDEN - Visiting Williams College remained unbeaten (4-0, 3-0 NESCAC) early in the 2017-18 season by taking a 4-2 victory at Tufts in NESCAC men's hockey action Friday night at Valley Forum. The Ephs were led by a goal and two assists from junior Marcus Mollica.
The host Jumbos (1-4-1, 0-2-1) made it interesting with a pair of goals in the third period to pull within 4-2. Tufts pulled its goalie with two minutes remaining in regulation and maintained possession in the Williams end, but could not score.
The Ephs controlled the first period and scored a pair of goals 1:26 apart late in the frame to take a 2-0 lead. Junior Keanu Hilaire netted a rebound at the 14:34 mark to give the visitors a lead they would not lose. Then with exactly four minutes remaining in the first, Eph freshman Jack McCool tallied his first collegiate goal with an assist from Mollica for a two-goal Williams advantage. The Ephs had a 14-5 margin in shots for the opening stanza.
Tufts would get the better of the second period, but Williams senior goalie Stephen Morrissey stood his ground and saved all 16 shots that the Jumbos put on net. His best save of the night came with 5:39 on the clock in the second when Jumbo sophomore Anthony Farinacci had the puck alone out front and tried to beat Morrissey with a quick move to his left, but the Ephs goalie made the stop.
Soon after that Tufts went on its lone power play of the game, but the Ephs were able to kill it allowing only one shot. Only three penalties where whisted in the entire game. McCool's first-period goal for Williams came on one of two man-advantages for the Ephs.
Williams moved its lead to 4-0 when Mollica picked the top left corner of the net for his second goal of the year just 1:28 into the third period. However, Tufts showed some fight to get within two. Sophomore defenseman Jordan Haney capitalized on a loose puck in the Williams zone and sent a shot through traffic past Morrissey at 6:55. The Jumbos added a goal by senior co-captain Dan Kelly at 14:02, but were not able to get any closer. Farinacci picked up an assist on the Kelly goal.
Morrissey finished with 30 saves while improving to 2-0 in the Williams net. Freshman Nick VanBelle won 10 face-offs for the Ephs and classmate Daniel Woolfenden had a pair of blocked shots while finishing with a +2 rating.
The Jumbos recorded a 38-30 edge in face-offs, including 11 wins by sophomore Tyler Scroggins. Senior co-captain Nik Nugnes made 25 saves in goal.
Tufts will host its final action of the first semester tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. when Middlebury College comes in for a NESCAC game. Williams, which is receiving votes in this week's US College Hockey Online poll, plays at Connecticut College tomorrow at 3 p.m.
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