Opening Night Conference Roundup

After a 244 day hiatus, hockey returned to the NESCAC with five exciting league games on Friday. 

Photo Courtesy of Mike Zhe

Trinity (0-1-0)     1
Tufts  (1-0-0)      3
Box Score    Recap

Mason Pulde made 38 saves  and Brian Brown scored two goals in the final two minutes (including an empty netter) to give Tufts the upset win over nationally ranked (7th/11th) Trinity. The Jumbos continued their propensity for penalties in recent years but held the Bantams to 0/6 on the power play.  Brandon Cole scored the lone goal for the Bantams in the first while first year Cooper Stahl pulled the 'Bos even with a wrister from the slot in the 2nd period that beat a screened Alex Morin, who made 18 saves on the evening.


Williams (1-0-0)   4
Bowdoin (0-1-0)   3
Box Score   Recap 

Sophomore forward Marcus Mollica scored his first two collegiate goals, including the game winner, to help the Ephs come from 2-0 down (as they did at four straight one point last season) after one period of play. Highly tauted Williams freshman defenseman Max Fuld recorded his collegiate goal s well while Bowdoin was paced  by the first two collegiate goals of rooke Pat Geary. Mike Pinios made 25 saves in victory while Peter Cronin made 32 in defeat.


Amherst (0-0-1)   1
Hamilton (0-0-1)  1
Box Score   Recap

Connor Girard made 35 saves and Evan Buitenhuis as the travel partners skated to a tie. The anemic Hamilton power play went 0/8 including over a minute of 5-on-3 in the third(.   Amherst went 1/4 on the power play with their lone goal coming from rookie Patrick Daly. The Continentals evened the score when Brandon Willett buried a feed from Neil Conway early in the third.  After nearly a decade of losing to Amherst, Hamilton now has a modest two game unbeaten streak against the Purple and White (1-0-1).

Middlebury (0-1-0)   1
Colby  (1-0-0)           2   OT
Box Score    Recap 

Oh captain, my captain. Colby's senior co-captains EJ Rauseo and Geoff Sullivan both scored and freshman Andrew Tucci made 17 saves in his first career start to earn the victory. The Mules broke a 0-0 tie in the second period when Rauseo pumped home a rebound on the power play. Colby was 1/7 on the man advantage while Middlebury did not capitalize on any of their three chances.

The Panthers capitalized on a turnover behind the net from Tucci when first year Mitch Allen took the puck and found open fellow rookie Trevor Turnbull for the equalizer. Sullivan netted the game winner in OT on an off angle shot. Junior Stephen Klein made 27 saves in defeat for Middlebury.

Wesleyan (1-0-0)          3
Conn College (0-1-0)   1
Box Score   Recap 

Wesleyan was led by a pair of first time scorers in Walker Harris and Poughkeepsie, NY (Wappinger for "Hut by the Little Water Place") native Chris White to go along with sophomore Andy Espinoza's tally in the first to earn a victory over their fellow nutmeg state NESCAC foe.  The Camels are now 0-10-2 in New London since defeating Hamilton in OT of the 2015 NESCAC Quarterfinals.

In net, senior Austin Emery made 18 saves and gave up all three goals. After the third tally he was replaced by Tim Conney, who made 10 saves for a clean sheet in relief. Cardinal workhorse Dawson Sprigings made 28 saves for the victory. Neither team capitalized on special teams with Wesleyan going 0-for-8 and Conn College going 0-for-5.