MEDFORD, MA. – Winning their second in a row, the Wesleyan men's ice hockey team downed Tufts University in NESCAC action 5-4 as they forced the game into overtime, Patrick Morrissey '25 getting the game winner on Saturday evening from the Malden Valley Forum.

Less than two minutes into play, Zach Stimeling '27 put the Cardinals on the board first. Kyle Anderson '24 gained the attack zone, catching the puck in the neutral zone and sending it to Jack Bosco '26 at the left post. Bosco found Stimeling in the face left face-off circle for the final shot on goal to take the one goal lead. Owen Sweet '25 followed Stimeling's goal four minutes later as a battle behind the net sent the puck to the blue line where it found Bosco before deflecting off Ethan Davidson '26. Sweet answered with a goal from the left post.

The Jumbos answered the Cardinals' two goal lead by scoring four unanswered goals, two coming in the final minutes of the first period from Sami Hakkarainen and Marek Pechr. Pechr's goal was shorthanded.
John Mulvihill and Fisher Shea provided the Jumbos with their own two goal lead in the second period as the Jumbos defense held the Cardinals without a shot on goal through the period.

At 14:31 in the third, Morrissey brought the Cardinals within one goal, scoring off the face-off with Sweet and Davidson earning the assists. The game-tying goal came off the stick of Jack Marottolo '26. Tiger Bjornlund '24 flipped the puck into the neutral zone for Connor Sutherlund '27 while Sutherland found Marottolo for the shot into the upper corner to tie the game at four.

Forcing the game into overtime, the Jumbos and the Cardinals played three and a half minutes of three-on-three hockey before Davidson traveled the puck in from the line, sending the pass cross ice to Morrissey with a short shot from the top of the crease. Morrissey scores the game winner and his second of the game.

The Cardinals won 37 draws from off the face-off, DJ Dixon '24 winning 21 of them.

Getting his first start in goal this season was Marc Smith '24 who made 33 saves to Tufts goaltender Bylin Gustave's 25.

The Cardinals return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 21, when they travel to Endicott for a 7 p.m. matchup.