TUFTS CLINCHES FIRST PLACE WITH 4-3 WIN OVER NEW HAMPSHIRE

MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY FINAL SCORE
Tufts 4 New Hampshire College 3

Date: Saturday, February 17, 2001
At Cambridge, Mass.

N.H. College (15-7-1, 12-4 ECAC Northeast)   1   2   0   =   3
Tufts (17-5-1, 15-1-1 ECAC Northeast)   0   3   1   =   4

SCORING: 1ST Period: NHC, Chuck Croteau (Chris Wingren, Dan Roy) 9:53 ppg; 2nd Period: T, Natan Obed (Justin Picone) 2:18 ppg; NHC, Rich Miller (Croteau, Wingren) 3:39; T, Jason Boudrow (unassisted) 5:12 shg; NHC, Nick Nugent (Matt Nee, Mike Cesere) 5:32 ppg; T, Obed (Boudrow, Pat Byrne) 7:24 ppg; 3rd Period: T, Scott Hayes (Mike Carceo, Picone) 10:11.

SAVES: NHC, Brian Holland 15; T, Ben Crapser 39.

CAMBRIDGE – Freshman goalie Ben Crapser (Paxton, MA) made 39 saves, and senior tri-captain Scott Hayes (Medfield, MA) scored the game-winning goal halfway into the third period, as the Tufts Jumbos posted a 4-3 victory over the New Hampshire College Penmen in ECAC Northeast Division college hockey action on Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, Tufts clinched first place in the Northeast with a 15-1-1 record. They will be the top seed in the conference tournament that starts next weekend. The Jumbos (17-5-1 overall) also ended a seven-game winning streak by New Hampshire College (15-7-1). The visiting Penmen out-shot the Jumbos, 42-19, but Crapser was on top of his game. He saved all 19 shots taken at him in the third period.

The game was tied at 3-3 after a scoring flurry early in the second period. The teams combined for five goals in barely five minutes. Tufts started the frenzy with senior Natan Obed’s (Goose Bay, NFLD) goal at 2:18 to tie the game at 1-1. The Penmen then took 2-1 and 3-2 leads on goals by senior Rich Miller (Morristown, NJ) at 3:39 and junior Nick Nugent (Hudson, NH) at 5:32. The Jumbos answered each NHC goal with tying goals of their own by junior Jason Boudrow (Somerville, MA) shorthanded (his 30th) at 5:12 and Obed’s second of the period at 7:24.

While New Hampshire College posted nearly a three-to-one advantage in shots on net in the third period (19-7), Hayes scored at 10:11 for the eventual game-winner. The Jumbos scored two powerplay and one shorthanded goals in the game. NHC also tallied twice with the man advantage.

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