Hockey Wins Boston Landing Invitational Championship 5-0 Over Nichols

BOSTON, MA (January 7, 2023) - Five different players scored goals and senior goalie Peyton Durand had a shutout as the Tufts University hockey team won the Boston Landing Collegiate Invitational championship with a 5-0 victory over host Nichols College at Warrior Ice Arena on Sunday afternoon.

It's the Jumbos first regular-season tournament championship since the 2015-16 team won the Rutland Herald Invitational hosted by Castleton. The win is also the sixth in a row for the Jumbos (6-4-1) this season, matching their longest winning streak since 2009-10.

Tufts had a 48-20 advantage in shots this afternoon for the decisive win over Nichols, who dropped to 4-8-2 overall.

The Jumbos got started barely one minute into the action on a goal by sophomore John Mulvihill. When Nichols junior goalie Tyler Bost went behind his net to clear the puck up along the left boards, Mulvihill was there to take it and he quickly sent it towards the goal and it went in for a Jumbo lead.

Tufts then added a goal with nearly one minute remaining in the period. Junior Tyler Sedlak picked off a Bison pass at center ice and broke in for a shot that was saved by Bost. The rebound went out to sophomore Max Resnick, and he zipped a pass across to Sedlak on the left side of the goal for a 2-0 Jumbo margin.

The Jumbos broke the game open with three goals in the second period to take the 5-0 advantage. On a power-play, sophomore Cole Dubicki in the right circle found freshman Trace Norwell open on the left side of the net. Norwell converted for his first collegiate goal at 8:14 of the second stanza. Then again on a power-play, with senior defenseman Sam Miller moving in down low, Norwell had a shot from near the left post that was saved. Miller was there to poke in the rebound at 13:38 of the second.

The Bison changed goalies to senior Mathias Backstrom at that point, but Tufts would greet with with another goal just 20 seconds later. Sedlak got the puck from a scrum behind the net, moved out front and dished over to wide-open freshman Marcus Sang for the Jumbos' fifth goal.

The Jumbos out-shot Nichols 19-4 in the third period, but did not add to their lead. Durand made 20 saves for the shutout, his first of the season and fourth of his career. Sedlak and Norwell both finished with a goal and an assist for Tufts today. Bost recorded 19 saves for Nichols and Backstrom finished with 24 stops in relief.

Sophomore Liam O'Hare, who starred in Tufts' 5-3 win over Wentworth in the opening round of the tournament on Saturday, was named Tournament MVP. Durand also made the All-Tournament team.

Tufts will go for its seventh straight victory when they return home on Tuesday night to play Fitchburg State University in non-league action.