Box Score MALDEN - Middlebury College senior goalie Stephen Klein stopped all 37 Tufts shots on goal to earn his ninth career shutout and help the Panthers post their first victory of the season, 2-0, at Tufts on Saturday.
The host Jumbos out-shot Middlebury 37-14, but the Panthers scored two first-period goals and Klein did the rest. This is his second straight blanking of the Jumbos, including a 41-save effort during a 1-0 Panther win in Malden last January.
Middlebury improved to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the NESCAC. The Jumbos, shut out for the first time since that loss to Middlebury last January, dropped to 1-5-1 overall and 0-3-1 NESCAC.
The Panthers started quickly this afternoon when sophomore Brendan Dawson gained control of the puck in the Tufts end during the first minute of play. He brought it to the goal mouth and assisted on senior Vincent Gisonti's first goal of the year just 43 seconds into the game.
Middlebury nearly extended the lead with 11:20 on the clock as freshman Jack Flanagan had an open net from right out front, but Tufts freshman goalie Drew Hotte made the save with a reach of his stick. However, the Panthers would get that second goal when they scored short-handed at the 12:30 mark. Freshman Alex Heinritz broke in with junior Jimmy McKee two-on-one and a perfect feed from Heinritz set up McKee's goal for a 2-0 Middlebury lead.
Klein would have had his best moment 15 minutes into the second period when he saved a flurry of Jumbo shots by senior Brian Brown and sophomore Tyler Scroggins from in front of the net. Klein would go on to make 14 saves in the second period and 15 more in the third. He calmly handled several instances of Tufts pressure throughout the game.
The Jumbos pulled Hotte with 2:08 remaining in the third period, but were unable to break through.
Gisonti added 19 face-off wins to his goal for Middlebury, who won 40 of 70 draws overall. Sophomore Frank Cosolito blocked three shots among the Panthers' 21 overall.
Freshman Mason Babbidge had the best day at the dots for Tufts with seven face-off wins. Senior Brian Brown had a game-high five shots, while Hotte finished with 12 saves in the Tufts net.
Neither team capitalized on their three power play opportunities. The Jumbos limited the Panthers to just one shot on their three extra-man attempts.
Tufts travels to Maine for the Bowdoin-Colby NESCAC weekend beginning against the Polar Bears next Friday night at 7. The Panthers play at Hamilton College next Friday night.
#
