MALDEN, MA (February 17, 2023) – The Tufts University hockey team clinched a spot in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament with a 3-2 victory against Bowdoin College tonight at Valley Forum.
The Jumbos scored a short-handed goal by
John Mulvihill and a penalty-shot goal by
Tyler Sedlak as part of the win, which lifted the team to 9-13-1 overall and 6-10-1 in the conference. The Polar Bears are now winless in their last six games and fall to 11-9-3 (5-9-3 NESCAC).
Tufts currently sits sixth in the conference with 19.5 points. Bowdoin also has 19.5, but tonight's victory gives the Jumbos the advantage in the season series including a 2-2 tie back on December 9 in Maine. Tufts can't finish any lower than eighth in the league heading into their regular-season finale at home against Colby tomorrow.
After a scoreless and penalty-free first period, the Jumbos took a 1-0 advantage on a shortie – their fifth of the year – by Mulvihill. He won a face-off in the Tufts end and Jumbo defenseman
Fisher Shea slapped the puck behind the goal all the way into the Bowdoin end.
Liam O'Hare beat out two Bowdoin defenders to get the puck to Mulvihill in the slot and he scored at 5:48 of the opening period.
A little more than three minutes later, Bowdoin goalie Alex Kozic was whistled for throwing his stick at the puck and Tufts was awarded a penalty shot.
Tyler Sedlak nabbed his second penalty-shot goal of the season, flipping his shot into the upper right corner for a 2-0 Tufts lead nine minutes into the second stanza.
Bowdoin would cut the margin in half before the second period was over. On a power play, Bobby Pearl got the puck in the right corner and skated to the top edge of the circle. He sent it back to Andy Stoneman deep in the zone, and Stoneman feathered a quick pass across to a wide-open Al Washco at the left post for the Polar Bears' first strike with four minutes left in the period.
The Jumbos started the third period with a huge penalty kill, one of four they had in game. Junior goalie
Peyton Durand made five saves during this Polar Bear man-advantage. He had 20 saves in the third period and finished the game with 46 overall.
Tufts was then able to get its two-goal lead back nine minutes into the third.
Aidan Lovett won a face-off in the Tufts end and
Jack Hughes chipped the puck out to
Joel Brandinger. He was allowed to skate right in on Kozic, who saved the first shot before Brandinger deposited the rebound for a 3-1 Jumbo lead.
However, Bowdoin again cut the margin down to one on a goal by Will Forrest. Patrick Callahan started the rush in his own end and dropped the puck off to Forrest inside the Jumbo blue line. Forrest skated in a zipped a shot towards goal that deflected in off a Jumbo skate at 15:18 of the third.
The Polar Bears would play over three minutes with an empty net, but the Jumbos gave great effort blocking nine shots while Durand made four saves during this time to earn the victory.
Kozic was solid for Bowdoin too, finishing with 37 saves in goal. The Polar Bears are at Connecticut College tomorrow to close out their regular-season.
--JUMBOS--
