MALDEN, MA (January 31, 2026) – Ryan Kearny scored both the game-tying goal in the final minutes of regulation and the game-winning goal 3:19 into overtime to propel Williams College to a 5-4 NESCAC win over Tufts University on Saturday afternoon at the Valley Forum.
Tufts held a 4-2 lead in the third period, but the Ephs showed resilience and scored twice with under 16 minutes left in regulation to knot the game at four.
With 1:41 remaining in overtime, Kearny sealed the win for Williams with his second of the game on a two-on-one opportunity with Connor Berg who registered the lone assist on the goal.
Rowan Heithoff and Kearny buried two unanswered goals in the third period to make it a 4-4 game. After causing a turnover, David Vieten slid a cross-ice pass to Heithoff who one-timed his second marker of the contest past the Jumbo netminder with 15:58 remaining. With the goalie pulled, the Ephs hounded the offensive zone, and Kearney was able to put home a loose puck in front with helpers coming from Conner Fitzpatrick and Logan Valkama.
Max Resnick put the Jumbos up 4-2 just 31 seconds into the final frame.
Brendan Fennell and Resnick used their speed to get by multiple defenders and created an odd man rush opportunity. Fennell jammed a shot into the pad of Kael DePape and Resnick put home the rebound.
In the second period, the Jumbos and the Ephs put up one goal apiece which made it a 3-2 lead for Tufts heading into the third. After a successful forecheck, Fennell circled the opposing net and pushed a soft pass to
Bryceon Lago, Lago then saw
Ethan Ullrick on the far post for his second of the game. With 46 seconds remaining in the middle period, Heithoff found the back of the net with assists coming from Jack Kennedy and Jared Lambright.
Tufts ended the first period with a 2-1 advantage.
Kodi Dotterer tallied his first collegiate career goal with a snipe from the top of the left faceoff circle. Breaking out of the defensive zone, Lago hit
Rory Andriole with a tape-to-tape pass up the right side, Andriole fired a cross-ice feed to Dotterer, and Dotterer ripped it past DePape low blocker side.
Jackson Krill and
Ethan Ullrick both scored power play markers for each side under six minutes into the opening frame to make it 1-1 early. For the Ephs, Kearney ripped a shot from the blue line that was blocked right to Kennedy, and he saw a wide-open Jackson in the high-slot who wristed it by
Gus Bylin. For the Jumbos,
Trace Norwell fed
Drew Pitts on the blue line, and Pitts slid the puck to Ullrick at the top of the left faceoff circle who rocketed a one-timer past the William's goalie.
Tufts falls to 5-7-0 in the NESCAC after taking back-to-back defeats in consecutive days, including a 4-2 loss to Middlebury last night. Williams takes the season sweep over the Jumbos and improves to 5-8-0 in conference.
The Ephs held a 38-18 lead in the shot department. DePape stopped 14 shots, while Bylin made 33 saves.
Kearny, Ullrick, and Heithoff each scored twice in the contest. Kennedy, Lago, and Fennell each dished out two assists apiece.
--JUMBOS--
