Hamilton College's Bennett Morrison '20 broke a 1-1 tie with a short-handed goal late in the third period and the Continentals went on to a 3-1 NESCAC win against the Tufts University Jumbos at Valley Forum on Saturday afternoon.

Morrison scored his third goal on a blast from the low end of the faceoff circle with 2:45 left and Tyler Bruneteau '18 clinched the win with 54 seconds remaining when he put the puck into an empty net. Nick Ursitti '20 gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead at 11:59 of the first period and Evan Buitenhuis '18 made 23 saves. Buitenhuis has allowed one goal in each of the last four games. He leads Division III with a .949 save percentage and is third with a 1.50 goals against average. 

The Continentals (15-3-4, 9-3-4 NESCAC) have won three in a row and are 4-1-2 in their last seven games. Hamilton is ranked ninth in the USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll and 10th in the D3hockey.com poll. The Continentals are in second place in the conference standings.

Tufts (10-9-3, 8-7-1) is tied for sixth place with Amherst College in the NESCAC standings. The Jumbos had their three-game winning streak snapped. Tyler Scroggins scored his fifth goal and Nik Nugnes turned away 30 shots. Tufts handed Hamilton its first loss this season, 3-1, back on Jan. 14.

Hamilton grabbed a 1-0 lead after a shot by Neil Conway '18 was saved by Nugnes but the rebound went right to Ursitti, who had an open net to score into from the left side. The goal was the second this season for Ursitti. Conway is tied for ninth in the conference with 14 assists, and Brad Smelstor '17 picked up the secondary assist. The teams went to the first intermission with the Continentals up 1-0 as Buitenhuis stopped all 11 shots he faced in the opening 20 minutes.

In the second period the Jumbos' Jordan Haney gained possession of the puck in the neutral zone and charged up the left wing. Haney unleashed a shot that hit the far post but Scroggins was there to pot a short-handed goal and even the score with 5:27 to go.

Hamilton had a golden opportunity to take the lead right away in the third period when Brandon Willett '18 took a pass all alone in the slot but Nugnes made the save. The Continentals enjoyed a 15-6 shot advantage in the third.

Hamilton's good work paid off with Morrison's game-winner. The teams had skated four-on-four for 1:49 before the Jumbos' penalty was released with 2:48 left. Morrison scored just three seconds later on assists from Willett and Conor Lamberti '17. Willett is ninth in the NESCAC with 21 points.

Tufts pulled Nugnes with 1:35 remaining but Bruneteau made it a two-goal advantage for the visitors with his eighth goal. He is third on the team with those eight goals.

Willett won 15 of 19 faceoffs as the Continentals finished with a 37-24 advantage as a team. Hamilton enjoyed a 33-24 shot advantage.

The Continentals host Middlebury College at Russell Sage Rink for another conference contest on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.