Box Score Game recap courtesy of Bowdoin College
BRUNSWICK, ME - Junior Brian Brown had a goal and an assist as the Tufts University men's ice hockey team scored a pair of first period goals to put Bowdoin on its heels en route to a 3-1 Friday night NESCAC final.
The Jumbos improve to 11-9-3 (9-7-1 NESCAC), notching their best victory total since the 2011-12 squad posted 12 victories. Coupled with last season's 2-0 win over the Polar Bears in Brunswick, Tufts has won two in a row at Watson Arena for the first time since joining NESCAC for the 2001-02 season.
The host Polar Bears dropped to 8-15-0 (5-12-0 NESCAC).
Tufts put a goal on the board midway through the opening period. Brown collected a pass from Trevor Davis out of the Jumbos' own zone and skated into Bowdoin territory. Brown skated down the left boards and slipped a shot past Peter Cronin to the far side.
Mutt Pugh doubled the lead for Tufts a few minutes later on the power play. Pugh rifled off a shot from just inside the blue line, capitalizing on a screen, to make the score 2-0.
Thomas Dunleavy cut into the lead 3:08 into the final frame for Bowdoin. Nik Nugnes denied a Mitch Barrington shot fired from high in the Tufts zone, but Dunleavy poked back the rebound.
Tufts freshman Anthony Farinacci iced the game with an empty-netter with 50 seconds to play, just moments after Bowdoin pulled Cronin for the extra skater.
Cronin stopped 25 shots for the Polar Bears, including 14 in the opening period. Nugnes ended the day with 26 saves.The Jumbos were 1-for-2 on the power play while holding Bowdoin to 0-for-2.
Tufts travels to Colby for a 3:00 p.m. start tomorrow. A win would clinch the #5 seed in the NESCAC Tournament for the Jumbos, which would be their best since a #4 seed in 2012. Tufts is currently tied with Amherst for fifth in the standings at 19 points. Though the teams split their season series, Tufts currently has one more league win than Amherst.
Bowdoin, which has locked up the #8 seed for the conference championship, hosts Connecticut College tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. for the final home men's hockey game of the season.
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