With 7:35 remaining in the third period, junior co-captain Mike Carceo scored a crucial powerplay goal to seal the ice hockey team's 5-4 come from behind victory over Connecticut College on Friday night. The win was the first at Tufts' new Malden Forum ice rink and put the team at 3-2 overall, and 2-1 in the NESCAC/ECAC East division.
Though the team sits at seventh in the division, the squad is just a game behind three teams in the NESCAC.
"I think we played a great game overall," Carceo said. "Our defense had its best game of the season. We got a lot of great goals from different people and all of the young players played really well. It was probably one of the best games I played in at Tufts so far."
Conn. College was first to light up the scoreboard at 7:58 on a power play, the sole goal of the first period. The Camels began the second period in the same manner and scored at 3:15, when senior co-captain Tim Flaherty picked up a loose puck and dished it off to Pete Hanlon.
Tufts responded two minutes later, freshman John Hurd scored two in a row to even the score. Conn. College found the net again at 9:29 in the period, followed by Tufts freshman Brandon Hays' goal to set the score at 3-3. But Camel Joe Deck notched his team's fourth to finish off the second period.
The Jumbos stepped it up in the third and put away two unanswered goals to finish the day 5-4. Freshman Gino Rotondi tied the game 4-4 at 3:19, and Carceo followed shortly thereafter with the winning powerplay goal.
The squad had an excellent game defensively and held strong through the final minutes of play when the Camels scrambled for a tie. Sophomore goaltender Ben Crasper provided his team with 23 saves on the game, eight of which were in the final period.
The team's great depth is seen in the fact that fourteen of 21 players have chipped in for at least one goal or assist.
"We're getting scoring from everyone; it's great to see the young guys doing well so early on," Carceo said.
Carceo leads the Jumbos with five goals and eight assists on the season, good for 13 points in five games. He has 90 career points in 53 games, and if he keeps up his current level of scoring, could add an easy 40 to those numbers. Byrne is close behind with 12 points, while Rotondi has gotten off to a quick start with 11.
Tomorrow night at the Forum at 8 p.m., the team rematches Stonehill College, who defeated the Jumbos 7-4 just over a week ago in the Coca-Cola Thanksgiving Shoot-Out. The loss marked the end of Tufts' seven game winning streak over the Chieftans.
Stonehill's Brendan Flemming scored four goals in the second period of the game to lead the Cardinals that day. Though the Cardinals outshot the Jumbos 20-15, and dominated the second stanza, the game was close. Tufts' Sullivan put in a goal and helped out with two assists to lead in scoring.
"We need to play all 60 minute without letting down at all," Carceo said. "In this league we can't get away with that."
The squad is now entering its most difficult portion of the season on Friday, as it begins its handling of 15 NESCAC/ECAC match-ups. The game will be the last non-conference match for the Jumbos until Feb. 12, when they face Plymouth State College.
"I think were coming along really well. A game like that really brings you together," Carceo concluded. "We realized that we can really play in this league if we want...it will definitely be a tough stretch, but I think we can hang."
@s:Team looks for revenge at Stonehill matchup tonight
