Box Score Recap courtesy of Hamilton College
CLINTON, NY - Senior goalie Evan Buitenhuis made 25 saves for the shutout and chipped in an assist on the game-winning goal as Hamilton College defeated Tufts University 2-0 on Sunday afternoon in NESCAC action at Russell Sage Rink.
Hamilton (14-6-2, 8-6-2 NESCAC) extends its unbeaten streak to five games. After starting the weekend in sixth place in the conference standings, the Continentals push up to fourth with one more weekend of games on the NESCAC schedule. Tufts (4-14-1, 3-10-3) lost its third straight and remains ninth in the standings, one point behind eighth-place Bowdoin.
Sophomore Sterling Bray scored the game-winner 17:26 into the first period. Tufts' Charley Borek dumped the puck into the Hamilton zone and maneuvered past a defender for an open lane to the corner, but Buitenhuis reached the puck first and fired it along the boards to freshman Jon Beniers at the hash marks. Beniers flipped the puck to Bray in the neutral zone, Bray gathered the puck as he skated to the far faceoff circle and he ripped a wrist shot under the blocker of Nik Nugnes (25 saves).
The Jumbos' best chances to score were both in the first period. Tufts broke out of its own zone with a three on two situation and Borek slapped a shot off the right pipe at 11:07. Borek hit the right pipe again at 14:19 when we whipped around the net and fired the puck past Buitenhuis.
Hamilton was outshot 12-9 in the second period, but the defense stood strong, which included killing off a five on three Tufts power play for 1:38 after back-to-back Continental penalties.
Buitenhuis flashed the leather 14:01 into the second period when Tufts' Clay Berger fired a shot on goal. Buitenhuis made the stick save and as the rebound flipped into the air he reached over his shoulder and grabbed the rubber. Buitenhuis continued his strong play when Tufts was on the power play 3:51 into the third and he stopped two consecutive shots in traffic.
Junior Jason Brochu scored an empty net goal with 30.6 seconds remaining in the third period. Senior Neil Conway won the battle for the puck in Hamilton's corner and sailed the puck into the Tufts' zone. A Jumbo defenseman attempted to control the free puck, but senior Brandon Willett won the puck battle for Hamilton and passed to Brochu at the top of the faceoff circle for the insurance goal.
Hamilton wraps up the regular season on the road with two NESCAC games next weekend. The Continentals faceoff against Middlebury College on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Williams College on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Jumbos host Bowdoin College and Colby College in their final regular-season games next weekend.
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