BLANCHARD ONE-TIMER LIFTS WESLEYAN OVER TUFTS, 7-6

COLLEGE MEN'S HOCKEY FINAL SCORE
Wesleyan 7 Tufts 6

Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2001
at Chestnut Hill, Mass.

SCORING: 1st Period W, Casey Benny (Jon Blanchard, Tyler Wragg) 5:59; T, Jason Boudrow (Dan Mahoney) 7:31 ppg; W, Blanchard (Dave Hogan, David Taylor) 8:10; W, Steve Bogosian (Jeff Mercier, Greg Lewis) 10:38; T, Pat Byrne (Mike Carceo, Chad Pessini) 16:51 ppg; 2nd Period W, Steve Cuccinatti (Tim Joncas, Taylor) 0:41; T, Carceo (Boudrow) 7:23 ppg; W, Mercier (Blanchard, Brian Maynes) 11:46 ppg; T, Dan Mahoney (unassisted) 16:55; 3rd Period W, Scott Rissmiller (unassisted) 1:23; T, Byrne (Boudrow) 2:15 ppg; T, Natan Obed (Carceo) 5:21; W, Blanchard (Benny) 10:30.

SAVES: W, Sean Patch 30; T, Ben Crapser 22.

MEDFORD – Sophomore Jon Blanchard (Yarmouth, ME) blasted a pass from freshman Casey Benny (Alex Bay, NY) into the net at 10:30 of the third period to lift visiting Wesleyan University to a 7-6 victory over Tufts University in New England college hockey action on Tuesday night.

Blanchard’s goal, his fourth point of the night, capped a back-and-forth shootout between the teams. Tufts never led, but tied the game at 6-6 on senior Natan Obed’s (Goose Bay, NFLD) goal at 5:21 of the third. The Jumbos scored four powerplay goals in the game, but could not avoid losing for the first time this season (7-1). Wesleyan stopped a two-game skid and improved to 5-6-1 with their fourth straight win over Tufts.

The Cardinals twice had two goal leads – 3-1 in the first period and 6-4 in the third period. Wesleyan’s seven goals were almost half as many as Tufts had allowed in its first seven games of the season (15). Cardinal Junior Sean Patch (Falmouth, ME) made 30 saves in goal for the win as Tufts out-shot Wesleyan, 36-29.

Tufts freshman Pat Byrne (Burlington, MA) scored his second goal of the game on the powerplay at 2:15 of the third to cut the Cardinal lead to 6-5, then Obed’s sixth of the season tied it. Blanchard’s blast soon proved to be the game-winner.

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