Statistics

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Tufts University saw its three-goal cushion sliced to one in a span of 25 seconds, but managed to hold on for the final minute to edge the No.5 University of New England men's ice hockey team, 3-2, in the opening round of the Skidmore College Thanksgiving Invitational at Saratoga City Rink.

The Jumbos (4-2), who took down No.11 and previously-unbeaten Babson College earlier in the week, advance into Sunday's championship game against the host Thoroughbreds. Following a program-record start, it was the first setback of the season for the Nor'easters (6-1), who will take on Alvernia University on Sunday at 1 p.m. Skidmore beat the Golden Wolves by a 4-1 tally earlier in the afternoon.

Tufts scored one goal in the vicinity of midway mark of each period to construct its lead, as Sylas Oberting, Jonathan Horn, and Ethan Ullrick made it 3-0 with 10:44 remaining in the contest.

UNE ratcheted up the pressure down the stretch, though, and used a Jumbos penalty with 2:34 left as an opportunity to pull the goalie and skate 6-on-4. That move paid off with 1:25 on the clock, as Jayden Price notched the power-play goal through a screen, with assists credited to Dominic Murphy and Drew Olivieri, after the faceoff win by Juraj Elias.

It wasn't 3-1 for long, as the Nor'easters struck again off the stick of Nathan Chickering with exactly 60 seconds to play. UNE brought the extra attacker back on the ice with 35 seconds remaining, but could not get a last-ditch attempt past Tufts netminder Gustave Bylin to force overtime.

Bylin stacked up 34 saves in the game, including 16 in the 3rd period, as his side was out-shot by an 18-3 margin. Max Resnick supported with three of the Jumbos' 16 blocked shots.

Harrison Chesney turned in 15 stops for UNE, which also won 31-of-42 draws taken by Olivieri, Elias, and Ike Keller.