MALDEN, MA (February 8, 2025) – The Tufts University men's hockey team jumped into fifth place in the NESCAC standings after today's 4-0 victory over Connecticut College at home at Valley Forum.
The Jumbos tinkered with their lines for today's game and got three goals from the
Harrison Bazianos,
Brennan Horn and
Marcus Sang combination. Tufts' Gus Bylin continued his stretch of strong play in goal, making 25 saves for his second shutout of the season.
The Jumbos improved to 8-10-1 overall and 6-8 in NESCAC. Their 19 conference points in fifth place are just two points out of fourth place and a home playoff berth with four games remaining in the regular season. Connecticut College dropped to 7-12-1 and 5-9 NESCAC where their 15 points have them in ninth place.
After the Camels took a 1-0 win over the Jumbos in Connecticut last night, the teams played over 35 minutes of scoreless hockey today. However, the Jumbos would get their first goal of the weekend when three Camel players got caught deep in the zone and the Jumbos broke out four-on-two. Horn dropped a pass to
Chris Throndson, whose shot was wide to the close side. Horn grabbed the rebound though and scored on a wrap-around at 16:13 for a 1-0 Tufts lead.
The game went to the third period with the 1-0 score, but the Jumbos would tally three times to break it open. Barely one minute into the final period, Jumbo defenseman
Drew Pitts chased the puck down behind his own goal. He sent it out to Sang along the right boards who then passed cross-ice to Bazianos at the red line. Charging into the Camel zone down the left side, Bazianos stuck his shot from the left circle inside the left post and past Conn goalie Will McAvoy for a 2-0 lead.
Then with under seven minutes remaining in the third, Sang dug the puck out of a scrum along the left boards at center ice. He sent it up to Horn, who set up Bazianos for a one-timer in the high slot. The shot was wide right, but caromed off the end boards and Sang was there to tuck the rebound into the right side of the net and the Jumbos led 3-0.
Down three, the Camels took a chance and pulled McAvoy with three and a half minutes left on the third-period clock. The Jumbos would turn that into an empty net goal. After
Max Resnick broke up a Camel pass at the visitor's blue line with his skates, he sent a shot towards the open goal. It hit the post, but new linemate
Brendan Fennell was alone in front to tap it in for the 4-0 margin.
The Jumbos outshot the Camels 39-25. McAvoy, who had shut out Tufts with 41 saves on Friday night, made 35 saves in a losing effort tonight. Bylin had 10 of his 25 saves in the third period.
Only three penalties were whistled in the game, with Conn going 0-2 and Tufts 0-1 on power plays.
--JUMBOS--
