Tufts Jumbos Stampede to 9-7 Win over Grinnell in Division III Collegiate Club First Round

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Matthew Burke (Jr., Miami Beach, Fla.) scored four goals to lead five Tufts scorers and earn Player of the Game honors as the Jumboes pulled away from Grinnell College to record a 9-7 victory in the first round of the 2009 Men's Division III National Collegiate Club Championship at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

Trailing 3-1 at the end of the first period, the Jumbos outscored the Wild Turkeys 3-0 in the second period.  Braulio Rivas (Sr., Key Biscayne, Fla.) started the run with a natural goal at the 5:10 mark before Burke buried an exclusion score at 4:26 and Alex Strittmatter (So., Fairfield, Conn.) tacked on a man-up goal with 53 seconds left in the first period to give Tufts its first lead of the game.

The advantage evaporated 91 seconds into the second half as Grinnell's Sam Sherwood (So., Seattle, Wash.) tickled the twine with a marker at the 5:29 mark to even the scoreboard at 4-4.  Neither team would score again until the 1:12 mark when Burke cashed in on another man-up chance to put Tufts back in front to stay at 5-4.

Tufts added to the margin 39 seconds into the fourth period as Benji Koltai (So., Beverly Hills, Calif.) punched through the Wild Turkeys' defense and whipped the ball into the cage for a 6-4 lead.  Grinnell pulled to within one three-times at 6-5, 7-6 and 8-7, but the Jumbos offense kept scoring and the defense kept the Grinnell offense at arm's length when it mattered most to hang on for the two goal victory.

Overall, Koltai finished the game with a pair of goals for Tufts, while Sherwood and Alex Phillips (So., St. Louis, Mo.) keyed the Wild Turkeys with a pair of tallies.

In cage, Brian Canter (Jr., Willow Grove, Pa.) picked up the win for Tufts with five saves, while Grinnell's Jon Willuhn (Sr., Huntsville, Ala.) stopped five shots in the losing effort.

Tufts will next take on New York University in the semifinals at 7:45 p.m. with a spot in the National Title Game on the line, while Grinnell will take on Grove City College at 6:30 p.m. in a game to decide which take advances to the fifth place game.

Tufts Goals: Matt Burke (4); Benji Koltai (2); Braulio Rivas; Alex de Castro-Abeger; Alex Strittmatter

Grinnell Goals: Sam Sherwood (2); Alex Phillips (2); Max Stephenson; Patrick Thomas; Sinan Ozer

Saves: Tufts - Brian Canter (5) ; Grinnell - Jon Willuhn (5)

Exclusions: Tufts - 6 ; Grinnell - 9

Advantage Opportunities: Tufts - 3-of-9; Grinnell - 1-of-6