Box Score MALDEN - The Tufts University men's hockey team finished a perfect NESCAC weekend and an undefeated week with a 5-3 victory over ninth-ranked Hamilton College on Sunday afternoon at Valley Forum.
The Jumbos received points from 12 different players and 32 saves from senior co-captain Nik Nugnes in goal as they capped a 2-0-1 week with the win. Nugnes shut out Amherst on Saturday night 4-0 and the Jumbos had returned to action for the second semester with a 2-2 tie versus second-ranked Endicott College on Tuesday night in Malden. Tufts, which started the week 1-9-1 overall and 0-5-1 in the league, improved to 3-9-2 and 2-5-1 NESCAC.
Hamilton, led today by two goals from junior Jason Brochu, lost for the second day in a row falling to 9-4-1 overall and 4-4-1 in NESCAC.
Tufts scored just 46 seconds into the game today. Freshman defenseman Michael Gordon found classmate Brendan Ryan alone at the Hamilton blue line and Ryan skated in and slipped a shot under the pads of Continental sophomore goalie Anthony Tirabassi for a 1-0 lead. Hamilton would even the score at 1-1 six minutes later as senior Brandon Willett took a pass from behind the goal line from sophomore Nick Ursitti and lifted it past Nugnes at 6:49. A first period played at a furious pace would finish with the Jumbos up 2-1 after freshman Hayden Smith dropped a pass to classmate Charley Borek who drilled a shot past Tirabassi with 1:55 on the clock. The teams combined for 25 shots on goal in the first period.
The second period would start with another quick goal. This time, Hamilton's Brochu was the recipient of a gift as his original shot was saved by Nugnes and the rebound deflected into the goal off a Jumbo defenseman's skate to tie the score 2-2 just 11 seconds in. However, the Jumbos were able to retaliate quickly freshman Mason Babbidge potted a rebound of a shot by sophomore Cory Gottfried at 3:48 of the middle period. Up 3-2, Tufts had a lead it would not relinquish.
Early in the third period, Tirabassi kept it a one-goal margin when he stuffed Ryan on another blue line break-in. However, less than a minute later Tufts would not be denied as sophomore Ross Delabruere scored his first goal of the season at 7:05 of the period for a 4-2 Jumbo lead. Tufts senior Brian Brown then capped a four-goal week by sniping a shot from the left face-off circle past Tirabassi for his seventh goal of the season and a 5-2 Jumbo margin at 15:37.
With just 1:22 remaining in regulation, the Jumbos were whistled for a pair of minors. Hamilton pulled Tirabassi to give itself a six-on-three advantage. They made good use of it as Brochu scored his second of the game and seventh of the year at 19:03. However, that would be all for the visitors' late-game hopes as the Jumbmos closed out the 5-3 win.
Gottfried blocked a pair of shots and earned a +2 rating for the Jumbos, while sophomore Tyler Scroggins finished 11 for 17 on face-offs. In addition to his 32 saves, Nugnes also earned an assist on Borek's first-period goal.
Tirabassi made 23 saves in the Continental net. The visitors outshot Tufts 35-28 and won 44 of the 75 face-offs. Junior Ian Nichols was an outstanding 14 for 18 on draws. Freshman Josh Labonte blocked three shots for Hamilton.
The Jumbos, in the midst of a five-game homestand, welcome Trinity College to Valley Forum for NESCAC action next Friday night at 7 p.m. Hamilton hosts Amherst in a NESCAC game that night.
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