Tufto Nets Overtime Winner to Beat Yale, 3-2

Friday, February 7

New Haven, Conn. / Ingalls Rink

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

17-9-1, 10-4-1ECAC

Yale

9-12-1, 6-8-1ECAC

OT 1

Quinnipiac

Yale

Photo by: Morgan Tencza

2/7/2020 10:34:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Bobcats Win Third Straight and 11th in Last 13 Games, Remain Tied for Third in ECAC

By: QU Athletic Communications

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 16/15 Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team needed just 18 seconds of overtime Friday night to come away with a victory in this season's first installment of the Battle of Whitney Avenue as Odeen Tufto (Chaska, Minnesota) scored the overtime winner to beat Yale, 3-2.

Tufto's overtime winner was his first since 2017 and Quinnipiac's first overtime victory since Jan. 5, 2018, when the Bobcats defeated Colgate in extra time.

After Yale tied the game late in the third period, Quinnipiac came out hungry in overtime as the Bobcats quickly got the puck behind the Bulldogs' net. Wyatt Bongiovanni (Birmingham, Michigan) backhanded a pass out to Ethan de Jong (North Vancouver, British Columbia) at the crease and he slid the puck across for Tufto to tap home the game-winning goal on the back door.

Quinnipiac's win was its third straight as the Bobcats continue to be one of the hottest teams in ECAC Hockey as they have won 11 of their last 13 games.

Alex Whelan (Ramsey, New Jersey) scored the Bobcats first goal of the game to even the score with 5:05 left in the second period, avenging Yale's goal from the first minute of the game.

Joe O'Connor (Hamden, Connecticut) provided some heroics for the Bobcats early in the third period as he jammed home his own rebound with his third goal of the season just 2:34 into the period to give the Bobcats the lead until the Bulldogs' tied it late.

Keith Petruzzelli (Wilbraham, Massachusetts) continues to dominate the crease for the Bobcats as he notched 25 saves to earn his 17^th win of the season.

SCORE
Quinnipiac 3, Yale 2 (OT)

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (17-9-1, 10-4-1 ECAC Hockey) | Yale (9-12-1, 6-8-1 ECAC Hockey)

LOCATION
Ingalls Rink | New Haven, Conn.

SCORING SUMMARY

(00:55, 1^st period) – Quinnipiac 0, Yale 1: Hayden Rowan put the Bulldogs up with an early goal as Kevin O'Neil centered the puck and it deflected off Rowan's skate and past Petruzzelli for his first career goal
(14:55, 2^nd period) – Quinnipiac 1, Yale 1: Whelan tied the game with 5:05 remaining in the second period as TJ Friedmann (St. Louis, Missouri) had a great outlet pass from the defensive zone where Whelan controlled the puck in the offensive zone. Whelan dangled the puck through the defense before roofing the puck past Kaczperski.
(2:34, 3^rd period) – Quinnipiac 2, Yale 1: O'Connor gave the Bobcats the lead early in the third period as he caught a pass at the blue line from Zach Metsa (Delafield, Wisconsin) and skated on net where his initial shot was saved by Kaczperski but O'Connor jammed home the rebound as he rushed in.
(17:13, 3^rd period) – Quinnipiac 2, Yale 2: The Bulldogs tied the game with 2:47 remaining in the third period as Evan Smith backhanded home the tying goal after Jack St. Ivany's shot went wide after a Quinnipiac turnover in its own zone.
(00:18, Overtime) – Quinnipiac 3, Yale 2: Tufto tapped home the game-winner on the door step after de Jong slid the puck across the crease to send Bobcat Nation home happy.

NOTES

Tufto has now scored a pair of overtime game-winning goals in his career with his first coming at home against Vermont in his third career game.
His fourth goal of the year gives him 30 points in 2019-20, his third straight season with 30-plus points and the first Bobcat to do so since Sam Anas from 2013-16.
Tufto also took over the sole lead in ECAC Hockey with 30 points this season, the first ECAC Hockey skater to reach the 30-point mark.
Whelan's goal was his 10^th of the season to become Quinnipiac's third skater with 10-plus goals this season
Quinnipiac is one of two teams with three 10-goal scorers in ECAC Hockey
Whelan's tally also gives him three straight seasons of 10-plus goals as he moves into 29^th all-time in program history with 45 career goals
O'Connor buried his first goal since Oct. 27 against Vermont for his third tally of the season
Petruzzelli made 25 saves Friday night for his 11^th game with 25-plus saves this season
His win was also his 17^th of the season to remain second in ECAC Hockey
Friday's win was also the 30^th of Petruzzelli's career, making him the eighth goalie in Division I program history with 30 wins
Bongiovanni recorded a point for a second straight game with his assist on the overtime winner, marking his eighth assist of the season as he pulls within one of tying his career-high
de Jong notched an assist for a third straight game to give him 11 helpers on the season.
Friedmann picked up an assist to give him points in two of the last three games as he picks up the scoring pace for the Bobcats
Metsa also recorded an assist Friday night for his ninth assist of the season and 13^th point to give Quinnipiac three defensemen with at least 13 points

NEXT GAME

Quinnipiac travels up I-95 Saturday afternoon to Providence, Rhode Island, where the Bobcats will face the Brown Bears at Meehan Auditorium with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
For more information on Quinnipiac men's ice hockey, visit gobobcats.com/mih and follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram, @QU_MIH.