Tufts clinches playoff berth with win over Colby

Tufts (8-14-2 overall, 5-11-2 in conference) defeated Colby (5-16-3, 2-13-3) on Friday at Alfond Arena 4-1 to clinch a playoff berth as the eighth seed before falling to Bowdoin (14-7-3, 8-7-3) 4-0 on Saturday. The Jumbos have not made the NESCAC playoffs since their '11-'12 season, when they were seeded fourth. Williams upset Tufts 4-3 in overtime, a loss that this year's seniors will remember in their first round matchup against top seed Trinity.

The Polar Bears blitzed the Jumbos, as first-year forward Spencer Antunez scored twice in the first period. Senior forwards Connor Quinn and John McGinnis assisted on Antunez's game-opening goal at 8:35 in the first period. Sophomore Mitch Barrington and McGinnis again fed Antunez on a power play at 16:05. 

"Saturday, I think, was a bit of a letdown because we had a really big game on Friday," Tufts senior forward William Sellers said. "I think the energy level wasn't as high. I had a good game on Friday, but Saturday, much like the rest of the team, I think I was inconsistent."

The Jumbos could not effectively break out of their defensive zone throughout the game, attempting only 20 shots on goal. In contrast, the Polar Bears dominated possession of the puck, finishing with 39 shots on goal, which nearly doubled the Jumbos' total. Tufts first-year goaltender Ryan McConnell performed admirably under the circumstances, allowing only three goals, one of which came in garbage time. Bowdoin's third goal, scored by senior forward Mike Schlagel at 18:20 in the third, came against an empty net. A minute later, senior forward Danny Palumbo ran the score up to 4-0.

"Ryan kept us in the game until the very end," Sellers said. "It was really a 2-0 game until the end when they scored an empty netter which is kind of like a garbage time goal.”

The Jumbos fared much better against the White Mules, the only remaining threat to their playoff berth. Neither team had an edge throughout the first period, but the game changed when Colby junior forward Tyler Lingel scored the first goal of the game -- and his season -- at 1:59 in the second period. First-year defenseman Dan Dupont earned the assist.

Lingel's goal incited the Jumbos and opened the floodgates. Sellers scored his second goal of the season at 11:41, assisted by sophomore forward Mike Leary and junior defenseman Brian Ouellette. Only 13 seconds later, junior forward Stewart Bell found string behind Colby's senior goalie Sam Parker. Forwards Conal Lynch, a sophomore, and Tyler Voigt, a senior, assisted on the play. To cap off their furious barrage, sophomore Matt Pugh scored his seventh goal of the season at 12:51. The Jumbos scored three goals in a minute and ten seconds.

“We got a big goal from Billie that really kind of sparked the team," senior defenseman and tri-captain Blake Edwards said of teammate Sellers. "The game before that had kind of been back and forth. Colby had just gotten their first goal and were up 1-0 and we really wanted to get back. We got our first goal and then we got our second and we really got that momentum and got the third. We really wanted to take it to them aggressively.”

In the third period, first-year Brian Brown extended the Jumbos' lead with his team-leading 13th goal. Leary and first-year forward Scott Majkowsky assisted.

Although the Jumbos allowed 33 shots on goal, sophomore goaltender Mason Pulde only allowed Lingel's through. Both Pulde and McConnell have performed admirably in goal for the Jumbos.

“They’ve both been playing well for us," Edwards said. "Whoever is in the net, we are confident with. They’ve been making the saves that help keep us in the game and give us the best chance to win."

The Jumbos are elated by their progress into the postseason.

“Getting into the playoffs is the first step in our ultimate goal of winning the NESCAC championship," Edwards said. “We’ve been itching to get back, the seniors especially because we had a taste of that our freshman year. Every year you’re trying to make it into the playoffs.”

The Jumbos now look to their playoff game against Trinity as an opportunity to prove themselves.

“We have to win or the season’s over," Sellers said. "There’s a lot on the line. I think we can beat anyone in this league so it’s almost a blessing that we can try to take down a top team off the bat.”