The men's hockey team improved to 8-7-2 this weekend and surged above .500 in the NESCAC with a win and a tie in back-to-back conference road games, both of which went to overtime.
"It definitely feels good to be above .500 in such a competitive conference, especially after playing two very good teams in Williams and Middlebury," sophomore Kyle Gallegos, the Jumbos' leading goal scorer, said.
On Saturday, the Jumbos took on Middlebury and, despite trailing by two goals after two periods, tied the Panthers 2-2 in their second overtime game of the weekend and third consecutive extra time contest. The Jumbos now boast an impressive 3-1-2 record in games that go over 45 minutes and remain deadlocked with the Panthers for fourth place in the NESCAC.
"There is no secret recipe for success in overtime," Gallegos said. "Our team as a unit knows that it is important to get pucks to the net, play solid defense, and outwork the other team. I feel like we've done all three of those in all of our overtime games this year and that's why we've been successful."
The host Panthers took an early lead when freshman forward George Ordway scored at the 6:53 mark of the first period. Senior Nick Resor extended Middlebury's lead to two with a power play goal halfway through the second period.
Early in the third, however, Gallegos punched a shot past freshman goalkeeper Dan Fullam. The goal pulled the Jumbos within one and left coach Brian Murphy's squad with ample time to try for an equalizer — an opportunity they would not squander.
As the clock ticked past the 40-second mark in the third, a pair of Jumbos defensemen, freshman Blake Edwards and junior Jared Barker, connected for the tying score. Barker again bested Fullam, and the Jumbos forced their second overtime contest in as many days. Meanwhile, the assist marked Edwards' second of the game.
Neither team found the back of the net in the five-minute OT period, and the game ended with the teams tied—both 2-2 on the scoreboard and in fourth place in the conference standings.
"The overtime [against] Middlebury had a very high tempo, but both teams were very conservative defensively. Possession went back and forth with very limited, quality scoring chances," Gallegos said. "Overall we were happy with a tie."
The Jumbos also worked some late-game magic on Friday evening, as Gallegos knocked in his eighth goal of the season with less than a minute left in overtime to lift Tufts over No. 12 Williams. The 3-2 final marked the Jumbos' second straight overtime victory, and third this season.
The Jumbos grabbed an early advantage over the Ephs when freshman defenseman Shawn Power capitalized on a Williams turnover and fired a strong slap shot from the left point to score unassisted at the 4:53 mark. Five minutes later, however, Williams freshman forward Craig Kitto evened the score, assisted by junior forward Evan Dugdale and senior defenseman Ryan Scott.
The game entered the second period locked up at 1-1, but it took Power just 1:28 to assist classmate Tyler Voigt for Tufts' second goal. The 2-1 advantage held until midway through the third period, when Williams sophomore forward Nick Anderson redirected a shot into the back of the net. Tufts had to kill a penalty as time expired and the score held, forcing the Jumbos to play an overtime period for the fourth time in seven games.
In overtime, Gallegos was whistled for cross checking in the first minute, but the Jumbos successfully held off the Ephs' power play with help from senior tri-captain goalie Scott Barchard, who made seven saves in the extra period. In the final minute, Gallegos redeemed himself, firing a shot past senior keeper Ryan Purdy to secure the win.
"The penalty kill was a good team effort with the pressure of sudden death on the line," Power said. "After we killed it we seemed to have a jump on them, and Kyle was able to get a real nice tip on Blake's shot out at the point to put it away."
Both goalkeepers finished the afternoon with more than 50 saves, but Barchard held a slim advantage over Purdy with a 58-save performance. Neither team was able to convert a power play, with the Jumbos going 0-for-3 and Williams going 0-for-4.
"The Williams game was a huge goaltending battle," Gallegos said. "There were opportunities on both sides and both goalies came up with big saves."
Tonight, the Jumbos square off with non-conference opponent Suffolk at the Malden Forum before a Friday night matchup with NESCAC rival Conn. College.
"We're coming off a pretty big three-point weekend," Power said. "Hopefully we can build on that and carry some momentum into the upcoming games to move further up in the standings."
