MEDFORD, Mass. (March 3, 2024) – Arguably the greatest season in Tufts University hockey history continued this afternoon at the New England Small College Athletic Championships at the Keppel Community Sports Center in Hartford. The Jambos will face Trinity College in the conference (NESCAC) championship game. Face-off is at 2 p.m.
2024 NESCAC Men's Ice Hockey Championship Match
Sunday, March 3, 2024
At Trinity College, 2 p.m.
Location: Hartford, CT – Keppel Community Sports Center (175 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT 06106)
Coverage: Live Video – Live Statistics – Championship Website
Three Jumbos teams have won as many or more games as this 2023-24 group, but none have had the postseason results these Jumbos teams have had as they enter the conference finals for the first time in school history.head coach Pat Norton's team won its first game Saturday, 1-0, against Hamilton College in the NESCAC semifinals, clinching a spot in the championship game.
Tufts overcame an 0-4-1 start to the season. From there, the team went on an eight-game winning streak, the longest at Tufts since the 1994-95 season, when the team won a school-record 11 games. Without a win in their first five games, the Jumbos are 14-5-2 for a .690 winning percentage. Since the start of December, the team has only lost twice in regulation.
Yesterday, they defeated a Hamilton team that had a 9-1-1 advantage in the most recent series between the teams entering the game.senior goalkeeper Peyton Durand Stopped 45 shots, third shutout of the season, and junior Tyler Sedlak He scored his 15th goal of the season in the second period as the Jambos advanced to victory.
Tufts will be at full strength today against a Trinity team ranked No. 4 in the USA College Hockey Online Division III poll. The Bantams' 22-4-1 record is the third-best winning record in school history and is on a 10-game winning streak overall. The Bantams, making their 11th appearance in the conference championship game, including seven of the past eight, will be looking for their seventh NESCAC title.
The weekend host team tied Middlebury College 2-2 in yesterday's other semifinal, but scored three runs late in the third inning to win 5-2. Connor Sedlak, Tyler's younger brother, had a goal and two assists, Gerard Maretta had two points and Bobak finished with 13 saves.
Trinity won both of its regular season matchups against Tufts this year, winning 5-1 in the season opener in Malden on Nov. 17 and 3-1 in Hartford on Jan. 17. The Bantams have won 14 of their last 16 games (14-1-1) in the series.
Statistically, the Jumbos rank third in the NESCAC in defense with 2.23 goals allowed per game and fourth in scoring with 2.92 goals per game. Trinity leads the conference in both categories with a 1.31 goals against and 3.46 points per game.
Tufts has three All-Conference honorees this season – Sedlak, sophomore forward; Max Resnick and senior guard sam miller – is the highest in Jumbo history.The team is solidly built from goal to goal and has a senior netminder. Peyton Durand In today's game, he had a save percentage of .940 and an average of 2.07 goals against.
The Bantams had five all-conference honorees, including NESCAC Player of the Year Devon Bobak (.937 SV%, 1.29 GAA). Senior defensemen Ned Blanchard, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, and John Campomenosi were named to the first team, as was junior forward Richard Boysen. Senior forward Kyle Tomaso was second-team.
The winner of the conference championship receives an automatic berth from the NESCAC to the NCAA Tournament.
Click here for information on purchasing tickets for today's game.
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