According to Dave Drucker, the highlight of his Tufts soccer career so far occurred very close to its start in 1997. "We were playing Amherst on homecoming my freshman year and I assisted on the first goal," Drucker said. "The atmosphere was crazy with all the people there. It was a great way to start off my career." The goal led to a 2-0 defeat of Amherst and helped to give the Jumbos their last homecoming victory.
Drucker is now a senior and has started for all four years of his career, spanning four successful years including a trip to the ECAC New England Championship in 1998. He has scored 18 goals and assisted on 20 others, giving him a career total of 56 points.
"I don't really like to focus on statistics," Drucker said. "If I score, great. If I assist on the goal, wonderful. I just want to win the game." Still, Drucker's statistics for this season are impressive. Drucker has seven assists on the season, good for a share of the team lead with sophomore Matt MacGregor. His five goals and 17 points place him second on the team to MacGregor in both of those categories. Drucker is tied for eighth in the NESCAC in points with Franklin Perry of Amherst, and of the fourteen regular season games this season, Drucker has tallied a goal or assist in eight.
Drucker's value to this year's team is measured in more than goals and assists. As a defensive midfielder, he is also vital in setting up the offense and presenting a strong first line of defense. "He's a strong kid, does a good job holding his position," assistant coach Pat Marino said. "He has a knack for putting the ball in the right place and making that final pass, in addition to scoring himself."
Through his four years of college, Drucker believes he has improved the most as far as knowledge of the game is concerned. "I've learned a lot about the game in terms of what to do and what not to do," Drucker said. "I think my vision on the field and my knowledge of the game have improved in the last four years, and I really have to attribute that to Ralph [Coach Ferrigno]".
This season has required Drucker to develop as a leader on the field. The team has nine freshmen, four sophomores, and six juniors so the two seniors (Drucker and goalkeeper Steve McDermid) must set good examples to effectively lead this talented but young team.
"Steve and I have played together for four years so hopefully our experience has helped the other guys," Drucker said.
His sophomore year, Drucker was named to the All-NESCAC second team, but the team struggled some during the regular season. The Jumbos recovered from an uncharacteristic 6-6-1 campaign to reach the ECAC New England championship game.
Last season, Drucker was back on the All-NESCAC team again earning second team honors. Drucker was also named to the all-New England third team. He scored three goals and added two assists that year for a total of eight points. It was also a better year for the team as the Jumbos compiled a 10-5-1 record.
"The winning is what is really important to me," Drucker said. "The honors are great, but it really comes down to wins and losses."
The team has won quite a few games this season as well. "We have a lot of young guys with a lot of talent," Drucker said. "Everybody plays with a lot of heart. As a captain, I couldn't ask for anything more. The one constant throughout my career here has been a great group of guys that have played with a lot of heart and intensity."
The Jumbos NESCAC season ended yesterday with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Amherst, but the team is expected to qualify for the ECAC tournament which starts on Wednesday afternoon. A run at the ECAC championship would give the team, and Drucker himself, one more highlight for an already impressive Tufts career.
