Box Score

MALDEN, Mass. -- Senior Mike Vitale (Brookfield, Ill.) scored 4:28 into the final period to complete a two-goal comeback and give Tufts University a 6-5 men's hockey victory over the University of New England in an ECAC East/NESCAC crossover game played Friday evening at Valley Forum II.

Classmate Andy Davis (Woburn, Mass.) made it 5-5 less than one minute into the third frame as the Jumbos (5-14-1, 4-12 NESCAC) snapped a 12-game losing streak with the come-from-behind win.

First-year Nick Pappas (Alpine, N.J.) got the rally started with 4:14 to go in the second period, notching his second marker of the stanza to pull the hosts to within 5-4.

UNE led 3-2 after 20 minutes of action, before Pappas came out 2:16 into the middle session and leveled the contest with his first goal of the year. Big Blue first-year Sean Sullivan (Worcester, Mass.) scored back-to-back power play goals 1:47 apart near the midway point of the period to restore the Nor'easters' advantage and make it 5-3.

Tufts senior Zach Diaco (Rumson, N.J.) and UNE senior Jack Nolin (Somersworth, N.H.) traded the initial four scores of the night, and Big Blue sophomore Paul Kashmanian (Grand Island, N.Y.) provided the visitors with their first lead of the match (3-2) with 39 seconds left until the first intermission.

Jumbos first-year Brian Phillips (Colleyville, Texas) made 26 saves to pick up his first win of the season. Tufts is set to entertain the University of Southern Maine on Saturday.

For the Nor'easters (4-17, 1-15 ECAC East), senior goalie Mike Roper (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) posted 31 stops in defeat. Sophomore Russ Franey (York, Maine) tallied three assists in the game to help fuel the UNE offense.

Big Blue travels to Connecticut College on Saturday. The puck is set to drop at 3 p.m.