JUMBOS SEASON ENDS IN OT AT FITCHBURG STATE, 4-3

COLLEGE HOCKEY FINAL SCORE
ECAC Northeast Division Playoff Semi-final
Fitchburg State 4    Tufts 3 ot

at Fitchburg, Mass.
Wednesday, March 1, 2000

Scoring: 1st Period F, Jeff Brodeur (Jeff DuRoss) 5:56; F, John Whittemore (DuRoss, Brian Baldassare) 11:48; 2nd Period T, Scott Sullivan (Drew Carleton, Natan Obed) 9:08 ppg; F, Whittemore (Brodeur, DuRoss) 14:14; 3rd Period: T, Carleton (Jordan Karp) 6:53; T, Mike Carceo (Chad Pessini) 8:48;  OT: F, Rob Hunt (unassisted) 13:16.

Saves: T, Ian Kell 42; F, Nick Gangemi 32.

Shots: T, 35; F, 46.

Powerplays: T, 1-4; F, 0-1.

FITCHBURG, Mass. -- Senior Rob Hunt scored on his own rebound 13:16 into the first overtime to propel the Fitchburg State College Falcons to a thrilling 4-3 sudden death victory over the Tufts University Jumbos in the semi-finals of the ECAC Northeast Division Playoffs.

The visiting Jumbos trailed 3-1 after two periods before senior captain Drew Carleton (Shaker Heights, OH) and freshman Mike Carceo (Belmont, MA) scored goals just 1:55 apart midway through the third period to knot the score at 3-3. The two teams played shutout hockey for the next 24:28 before Hunt tallied just his fourth goal of the season.

FSC jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on first period goals from Jeff Brodeur and John Whittemore. Tufts cut the lead in half on a second period goal off the stick of senior Scott Sullivan (Tewksbury, MA). Whittemore answered back for Fitchburg with his second of the game and 13th of the season with 5:46 remaining in the second.

Tufts sophomore goalie Ian Kell (St. Paul, MN) stopped 42 shots for the Jumbos, while Fitchburg's Nick Gangemi had 32 saves. The Falcons, who needed overtime after rallying from a late two-goal deficit to defeat Western New England last Saturday in the quarterfinals, will face Wentworth this Saturday night in the Championship Game. Tufts ends one of its best seasons in recent memory with a 13-10-1 record.

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