All-Time Series & Streaks
Nichols has won five of the last six and nine of 11 against the Wildcats. The Bison now lead the all-time series, 17-10-1.
 
Three Stars of the Game
1) Nichols senior Daniel Bufis (Linden, N.J.) – recorded a goal and an assist, his first multi-point game in over two months (November 4 vs Endicott)
2) Nichols senior Tyler Beasley (Indianapolis, Ind.) – scored the game-winning goal at 13:14 of the third period, his team-leading 11^th of the season
3) Johnson & Wales (RI) goaltender Joey Ballmer (Kalamazoo, Mich.) – turned aside 39 shots in defeat, including 17 in the second period
 
Quick Synopsis
Bufis scored the game-tying goal early in the third and set up the game-winner less than 10 minutes later as the Bison rallied for a 2-1 win over the Wildcats in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast action Wednesday night at Levy Rink. Ballmer kept the Bison at bay for the first two periods, recording 29 saves through the first 40 minutes.
 
Key Stat of the Game
The Bison outshot the Wildcats 41-29.
 
Turning Point
The Bison finally cracked Ballmer at 5:26 of the third when Bufis crashed the net and chipped a rebound over Ballmer's left shoulder to tie the game at one. Senior Frank Butler (East Haven, Conn.) and sophomore Chris Deming (Madison, Ala.) picked up assists on Bufis' fourth of the season.
 
Quick Hits
-Senior Alex Larson (Madison, Ala.) made 29 saves to earn his 11^th win of the season.
-Nichols killed off both JWU power plays. It did not receive an opportunities with the man advantage.
-Bufis and Butler picked up the assists on Beasley's game-winning goal.
-Senior Luke Nickels (Chicago, Ill.) scored the lone goal for the Wildcats as he beat Larson with a wrister through the legs from the right circle.
 
Quotes
"There are some games when the offense isn't coming or the goalie is making big saves and you're not finishing your chances, guys tend to get down and grip the sticks tight and force plays. You start to wonder if it's going to come. After the second period, we could feel the energy and the determination the guys were playing with. There was no bad body language. They didn't let doubt creep into their minds. The coaching staff felt that we were going to win the game after the second period because the guys were ready to run through a wall before taking a loss." – Nichols head coach Parker Burgess
"I took the puck right to the net. Beasley came in and slammed it home. I have to work hard to stay there (on the top line). It was a great goal." – Nichols senior Daniel Bufis, on setting up the game-winning goal
 
"It's always a god confidence booster to hear your name called on the top line with 18 (Butler) and 26 (Beasley). It's a huge step for me. I don't have a 'C' or an 'A' on my jersey, but as a senior, I need to be a leader and step up in big spots. They called my number and the coaches showed confidence in me." – Bufis, on playing on the top line
 
"There were 30 guys in that locker room saying 'He's coming back.' It gave me the motivation to get back into the lineup. I never doubted that I would be back. Now, I have to continue to work hard to stay in the lineup." – Bufis, on returning to the lineup following a potential season-ending injury last month
 
 
Next up
Nichols (12-5-0, 7-1-1 ECAC Northeast) – Saturday, January 23 @ Endicott, 4:00 p.m.
Johnson & Wales (RI) (7-7-3, 3-4-2 ECAC Northeast) – Friday, January 22 @ Becker, 6:50 p.m.