MALDEN, MA (January 14, 2023) – Hamilton College scored three first-period goals and then was able to fend off Tufts University for a 5-2 NESCAC men's hockey win at Malden Valley Forum on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 3-0, Tufts scored twice in the second period to narrow the margin to 3-2. However, the Continentals scored with one second remaining in the middle period and then added an empty-net goal late in the third.
Charlie Archer was strong in goal for Hamilton (8-6, 6-3 NESCAC) with 26 saves, while Logan Greene, Sean McAvoy and Ben Zimmerman all had a goal and an assist for the visitors. Freshman Gus Bylin had 30 stops in goal for the Jumbos (5-8-1, 2-5-1).
Hamilton started its strong first period on a goal by Zimmerman 3:38 into the game. During a Continental rush, Cade Groton won a challenge by swatting at the puck at the Jumbo blue line sending it into the zone. Nick Hawkins then won a puck battle and tipped it over to Zimmeran who averted a defender and scored from the slot.
McAvoy's goal at 13:24 put Hamilton up 2-0. During sustained possession in the Tufts end, Greene rushed the puck towards the net where a shot by Ryan Brown (two assists) was saved. However, McAvoy had an open goal in which to put the rebound.
A hustle play by McAvoy then led to the third Continental goal. On a dump-in he rushed to get a stick on the puck in the Tufts zone and poked it around to Brown on the right boards. He sent it along to Greene at the point and his shot through traffic scored with 3:42 remaining in the first.
Tufts got on the scoreboard almost three minutes into the middle stanza.
Max Resnick controlled the rebound of a good chance in front of the goal by
Mason Kohn. He moved it along to
Cam Newton at the right point, who sent it over to Miller whose wrist shot through a crowd found its way into net for his fifth goal of the season.
A bomb from the left edge of the right face-off circle into the far top corner by
Tyler Sedlak closed the Jumbos within 3-2 at 9:46 of the second period.
Andrew Gunlock had the assist after getting the puck in the neutral zone.
A period dominated by the Jumbos ended poorly for them though. After a turnover in the Tufts end forced by Matt Gellerman, the Continentals got the puck out to Max Wutzke at the left point. His pass to Max Bulawka was tipped near the dot in the left circle and scooted past a screened Bylin, who had lost his stick and was playing with a regular one that a teammate had handed him. The officials gathered to determine whether the puck had gone in before the buzzer sounded to end the period. They decided it did putting Hamilton up 4-2.
The Continentals then had a strong third frame to hold off the Jumbos and added an empty-net goal by Gellerman with 48 seconds left to seal their victory.
Shots finished 35-28 in favor of the visitors.
--JUMBOS--
