Tufto Buries Overtime Winner to Take Down Union, 3-2

Saturday, February 22

Schenectady, N.Y. / Messa Rink

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

19-11-2, 12-6-2

Union

7-21-5, 5-13-2

OT 1

Quinnipiac

Union (NY)

Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

Tufto Buries Overtime Winner to Take Down Union, 3-2

2/22/2020 10:27:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Tufto Scores Game-Tying and Game-Winning Goals for Comeback Win

By: QU Athletic Communications

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Odeen Tufto (Chaska, Minnesota) scored the game-tying and game-winning goals for the No. 16/14 Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team came back from a two-goal deficit to beat the Union Dutchmen, 3-2, Saturday night.

Tufto scored the game-winning goal with 10:47 remaining in the third period as he put home his own rebound before burying the game-winning power-play goal with 44.8 seconds left in overtime for his third career overtime game-winning goal.

The Bobcats outshot the Dutchmen 5-0 in the overtime period to complete the comeback as Quinnipiac overcame a two-goal deficit for the third time this season. Overall, Quinnipiac outshot Union, 53-27, and held a 26-6 advantage in shots over the final two periods of play.

Keith Petruzzelli (Wilbraham, Massachusetts) shined between the pipes once again as he finished with 25 saves on 27 shots as he kept the Bobcats in the game with several key saves to keep the Dutchmen off the board down the stretch.

Union scored the first two goals of the game with a power-play tally in the first period and doubled their lead on the rush in the second. Just 10 seconds after Union took a 2-0 lead, Michael Lombardi (Barrington, Rhode Island) scored his fourth of the season to break the Bobcats' scoreless drought and pull back within a goal.

Tufto capped off the comeback with the game-tying and game-winning goals as he recorded his first multi-goal game since scoring a hat trick at Maine on Nov. 23, 2018.

With the win and Harvard's loss at St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac moved back into sole possession of third place in the ECAC Hockey Standings and needs just one point next weekend to clinch a first round bye in the 2020 ECAC Hockey Tournament.

SCORE
Quinnipiac 3, Union 2 (OT)

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (19-10-2, 12-5-2 ECAC Hockey) | Union (7-21-5, 5-13-2 ECAC Hockey)

LOCATION
Messa Rink | Schenectady, N.Y.

SCORING SUMMARY

(7:39, 1^st period – PP) – Quinnipiac 0, Union 1: The Dutchmen scored the game's initial goal as they gathered the puck in their own defensive zone on a rim from the Bobcats. Colin Schmidt carried the puck into the offensive zone and touched a pass for Vas Kolias on his left. Kolias carried the puck into the left faceoff circle where he fed a cutting Chaz Smedsrud in the slot for his fifth goal of the season
(4:08, 2^nd period) – Quinnipiac 0, Union 2: Dylan Anhorn chipped the puck to Anthony Rinaldi in the Bobcats' defensive zone and Rinaldi skated the puck all the way down and deked a Quinnipiac defender before wristing the puck off Petruzzelli's blocker and it trickled over the goal line as Rinaldi collided with Petruzzelli.
(4:18, 2^nd period) – Quinnipiac 1, Union 2: Lombardi answered 10 seconds later as Skyler Brind'Amour (Raleigh, North Carolina) won the faceoff after the Dutchmen goal. Logan Britt (Crystal Lake, Illinois) worked the puck to PJ Fletcher (Dana Point, California) in the defensive zone who in one motion passed it up to Lombardi crossing the blue line who backhanded the pass back to Brind'Amour. Brind'Amour drew the defender as Lombardi created some space and Brind'Amour passed the puck back to him before he brought the puck to his forehand and roofed home the puck as he drew Union goaltender Darion Hanson out of position trying to make the save.
(9:13, 3^rd period) – Quinnipiac 2, Union 2: Tufto tied the game for the Bobcats near the midway point of the third period as Wyatt Bongiovanni (Birmingham, Michigan) hit Peter DiLiberatore (Bedford, Nova Scotia) with a pass in the slot where his shot was saved but the rebound trickled out and Jermain backhanded the puck for Tufto behind the net. Tufto collected the puck and his initial wraparound was saved before he buried his own rebound.
(4:15.2, Overtime – PP) – Quinnipiac 3, Union 2: Tufto scored the game-winning goal with just 44.8 seconds remaining in overtime as the Bobcats controlled the puck on the power play in the offensive zone. DiLiberatore worked the puck along the far boards to Alex Whelan (Ramsey, New Jersey) who then found Tufto down along the end line. Tufto attempted to pass the puck through the slot but it went off a Union stick and into the net for the winner.

NOTES

Quinnipiac dominated much of Saturday's game as they outshot Union, 53-27, and held an impressive 26-6 edge in the third period and overtime.
The Bobcats' 53 shots on goal are its most in a game since firing 54 on Maine on Dec. 8, 2017.
Quinnipiac came back from a two-goal deficit to win for the third time this season as they previously accomplished the feat on Dec. 29 in a 4-3 win at Princeton and Oct. 12 at AIC in a 3-2 win.
Tufto recorded his third career multi-goal game and first since his hat trick at Maine last season on Nov. 23, 2018.
Tufto's overtime game-winner was the third of his career and second in the month after scoring the overtime winner at Yale on Feb. 7.
Tufto pulled back within a point of second in ECAC Hockey with 36 points this season.
Lombardi scored his fourth goal of the season and second in as many weekend with the Bobcats' first goal of the game Saturday night.
He is now one goal from tying his career-high from last season.
Petruzzelli stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced as he recorded his 13^th game with 25-plus saves this season.
He allowed two goals or fewer for the 22^nd time this season to lower his GAA to 2.11 and raised his save percentage to .917.
DiLiberatore picked up his fourth career two-assist game with helpers on the game-tying and game-winning goals Saturday night.
He now has 20 points for his first career 20-point season to go with 14 assists, just two away from tying his career-high.
Whelan recorded the primary assist on Tufto's game-winning goal for his 21^st point of the season and 75^th of his career.
Jermain tallied his seventh assist of the season and 18^th point as he had the primary on Tufto's game-tying goal
Brind'Amour picked up an assist for his ninth helper of the season and 12^th point as he got on the scoresheet for the first time since Jan. 11.
Fletcher recorded his fifth assist of the season as he had the secondary helper on Lombardi's goal as he also picked up his first point since Jan. 11

NEXT GAME

Quinnipiac heads home next weekend for the final weekend of the ECAC Hockey Regular Season as the Bobcats host Brown Friday night for Senior Night before the next installment of the Battle of Whitney Avenue as Yale comes to town Saturday night.
Friday night will also serve as Rand Pecknold Bobblehead Night with the first 1,000 fans receiving a bobblehead upon entering the game.
For more information on Quinnipiac men's ice hockey, visit gobobcats.com/mih and follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram, @QU_MIH.