Hockey Stays Hot With 5-3 Victory at Fitchburg

FITCHBURG, MA (January 10, 2023) - The Tufts University hockey team improved to 5-2-1 in its last eight games with a 5-3 victory in non-league action at Fitchburg State University tonight.

Harrison Bazianos, Brendan Fennell, Mason Kohn and Max Resnick all recorded two points for the Jumbos, while junior goalie Peyton Durand made 28 saves in the win. 

After the Jumbos scored twice each in the first and second periods to lead 4-2, the host Falcons (6-6-2) pulled within 4-3 on the second goal of the game by Anthony Ceolin in the middle of the third. However, an empty-net goal by Tufts' Aidan Lovett with seven seconds left in the third sealed it.

Brennan Horn had the first Jumbo goal 6:39 into the game. On a Tufts rush deep in the Falcon zone, Bazianos quickly sent a loose puck to Horn alone on the right side of the goal and he scored for a 1-0 lead.

Fitchburg responded on the power play with Ceolin's first at 8:05 of the opening frame. After a face-off loss in the Jumbo end, Ceolin intercepted a Tufts clearing pass in the slot. He flipped a pass to Rece Bergeman who put a shot on goal amidst heavy activity in front of the net. Ceolin then scored on the rebound.

The Jumbos would take a lead they would not relinquish at 14:54 of the first after Kohn won a face-off to the right of the Falcon goal. Fennell picked up the puck at the top of the circle and went through the challenges of two defenders before using a screen to send a shot inside the right post for a 2-1 Tufts advantage.

Tufts extended its lead to 3-1 when Kohn led a three-on-two short-handed rush early in the second period. He sent the puck right to Resnick who then put it across the sheet to Fennell who was waiting in the middle of the left circle. His shot was directed in by Kohn on the doorstep at 7:30.

As they did all night, Fitchburg had an answer. From along the right boards, Samuel Rennick sent a pass to Cole Archambault out front. He held the puck across the goal mouth and then back-handed it in at 12:02 making it 3-2.

However, the Jumbos were again able to provide an answer of their own. Resnick got control of the puck behind the Falcon net and skated into the right circle, where he back-handed a pass to Sam Miller at the left point. Miller blasted one through traffic that beat Fitchburg goalie Christopher Mattone with about five minutes remaining in the second period for a 4-2 Jumbo margin.

The Falcons closed to within 4-3 not long after their power play had ended. Corey Tumenas stole the puck in his own end and charged into the Tufts zone where he dropped a pass to Wyatt Wilmshurst in the slot. Wilmshurst continued the puck over to Ceolin deep in the left circle and his shot beat Durand at 11:14 of the third.

Both teams would kill power plays late in the third, with Durand at his best making five saves for Tufts in the final five minutes. Fitchburg originally pulled Mattone with 2:12 remaining in the third, but had to bring him back when Tufts forced a face-off in the Falcon end. They pulled him again with 51 seconds left in regulation and Lovett eventually added the empty net goal.

Mattone finished with 35 saves in the Fitchburg net as Tufts out-shot the hosts 40-31.

The Jumbos (5-6-1) return to NESCAC action this weekend with games at home against Amherst Friday night and Hamilton Saturday afternoon.