Tufto's two goals lead Quinnipiac to overtime win

Quinnipiac vs. Vermont (copyright BobcatsHockeyBlog)

Odeen Tufto scored his first career collegiate goals, the second a game winner in overtime off a rebound from a Brogan Rafferty shot giving the #17 Quinnipiac Bobcats a 3-2 win over the University of Vermont for their first victory of this young season. With the win the Bobcats improve to 1-1-1 while Vermont falls to 1-2. Quinnipiac came out flying in the first period with many quality scoring chances along with hitting multiple posts. For the second year in a row, Vermont goaltender Stefanos Lekkas was strong in net making 34 saves on the night including 17 alone in a scoreless first period.

Vermont broke just 3:23 into the second period when junior Liam Coughlin scored unassisted for the Catamounts. Just 35 seconds later freshman Odeen Tufto netted his first career goal cleaning up a rebound from a Kevin McKernan shot in the slot. Tanner MacMaster also picked up an assist on the Tufto goal. Late in the second period, Quinnipiac regained the lead when Tanner MacMaster (one goal, two assists) ripped a wrist shot in the slot past Lekkas. 

Quinnipiac victory celebration (copyright BobcatsHockeyBlog)

The third period saw the Catamounts up their level of play, tying the score just a little more than halfway through the period on a Craig Puffer goal. Vermont out shot Quinnipiac 12-6 in the period while the Bobcats didn't play as well in the third as they did in the first two periods. The Bobcats had a golden chance to win it on two on none late in the third period with Landon Smith and Tanner MacMaster but they couldn't convert the chance with Lekkas making a huge save for the Catamounts. Tufto finished the game off 2:27 into overtime on his rebound goal and capped off a huge victory celebration skating to the opposite end to the Quinnipiac student section to celebrate. Goaltender Andrew Shortridge returned in between the pipes making 22 saves in the win while the struggles in the face-off circle continued for the Bobcats. Quinnipiac returns to action next week when they travel to Matthews Arena in Boston, MA for a pair of games against Northeastern.

Jonathan Singer is a 2004 Quinnipiac alum. You can follow him on Twitter @QHockeyBlog.