Sophomore goalie Ian Kell of the Tufts hockey team was named ECAC Northeast goaltender of the week on Tuesday, after leading his team to a 4-3 decision over Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania last Saturday.

Kell was sensational in the win, turning back a career-high 49 shots on the day as the Jumbos outlasted their hosts to preserve their unblemished conference record. The team’s mark now stands at 6-0 against ECAC Northeast foes and 9-4 overall.

On Saturday, Kell repeatedly denied his opponents’ shots, as Lebanon Valley poured on the pressure in their quest to overcome a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 deficit. Kell refused to budge, though, making 14 saves in the opening period, 21 in the second, and another 14 before the buzzer sounded. The biggest of these stops came with just seconds to go in the contest, as the sophomore made two point-blank saves to hand Lebanon Valley its third loss of the year.

In conference play, Kell is now 5-0 with a 3.20 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. His .636 overall winning percentage (7-4) ranks him fourth in the ECAC, while his 4.41 goals against average and .865 save percentage place him 12th and 13th, respectively.

The Jumbos are currently sitting in third place in the ECAC, behind Wenworth Institute of Technology and Fitchburg State. The squad will face off at Curry College tonight at 8 p.m., and then again on Saturday against Fitchburg for a 6 p.m. drop.

— Neal McMahon