MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team continued its homestand tonight, hosting NESCAC member Tufts University at Sullivan Arena.  The Jumbos scored three goals in the first period, but Hawk tri-captain Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.) scored his first career hat trick, netting three shots in the final six minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime.  Nevertheless, Zach Diaco (Rumson, N.J.) slipped one past the Hawk's backline in overtime to give the Jumbos a 4-3 victory.

Just 33 seconds into the game, junior Mike Vitale (Brookfield, Ill.) sent a crossing pass to Dylan Cooper (Colorado Springs, Colo.) on the left side of the net, who shot one by starting goaltender Alex Wyse (Amherst, N.Y.) to put the Jumbos on the board.  Less than three minutes later, at 3:13, Nick Metcalfe (Plymouth, N.H.) sent a slapshot from the outside towards the goal, which was tapped past Wyse by Mike Fitoussi (Great Neck, N.Y.) to give the Jumbos a quick 2-0 lead. 

Midway through the first period, junior Kevin Fairweather (Woburn, Mass.) took over in goal for the Hawks, making his first appearance of the season.  He made five tough saves before allowing a third Jumbo goal to Dylan Plimmer (Phoenix, Ariz.) at 17:34 in the first period. 

Tufts goaltender Scott Barchard (Reading, Mass.) stopped 58 shots before, at 14:10 in the third period, junior Coleman Noonan flipped in a pass from classmate Paul Snell (Groton, Mass.), netting a shorthanded goal to get one back for the Hawks.  Just under four minutes later, Noonan netted an unassisted close-range goal to bring the Hawks within one with 1:50 remaining in regulation.  Then, just 35 seconds later, Noonan capped off his first career hat trick, netting a goal from Snell and fellow captain Nick Wheeler (Nashua, N.H.) to tie the game with less than a minute to play.

Sullivan Arena went wild after the heroic three-goal comeback, but just 1:46 into the overtime period, Zach Diaco silenced the crowd when he took a pass from Cory Korchin (Fountain Valley, Calif.) near the blue line, and slapped it past the Hawks' defense to pick up the Jumbos' first overtime victory of the season.

Jumbo goaltender Scott Barchard broke the team's all-time record for saves in a game, stopping a total of 63 shots to earn his fourth victory of the season.  Barchard surpassed James Kalek's mark of 60 saves, made on January 21, 2005, against Colby.  Alex Wyse allowed two goals and did not make a save in eight minutes in the net, and Kevin Fairweather made 25 saves in 53:19 minutes, allowing two additional goals and taking the loss. 

The win lifts the Jumbos to 4-2-1 (2-1-1 NESCAC), while the Hawks fall to 2-3 (1-3 ECAC East).  The Hawks return to action next Friday, December 11th, when they host in-state rival New England College in an ECAC East Conference game at Sullivan Arena beginning at 7:00 pm.