The hockey team's Class of 2002 started out an ample ten. Now, only three remain - senior defenseman Rob Greene and senior goal keepers Ian Kell and Jeremy Zuniga.
Five seniors have left the team in recent months, and in total, nine players chose not to return for the 2001-2002 campaign. Seniors Harris Dainoff, Jordan Karp, Mike Lamson, Andrew Markus, and Chad Pessini, and juniors Tim Havern, Rob LaQuaglia, Mike Silver and Conor Sheehan are no longer skating for the Jumbos.
Contacted in his office yesterday, coach Brian Murphy said the exodus was not the result of a "major coup."
"There was no reason why these players left," he said. "There was no problem with any of the guys that I've spoken to."
But one former player, who asked not to be named, stated otherwise. "I couldn't believe what happened this year," he said. "It was a domino effect. It started out as a few of us, then the rest followed suit. It was a strange phenomenon." He said that communications problems with the coach were among the factors prompting his departure.
Two other players cited differences with the coaching staff as playing into their decisions.
"I just didn't think [Murphy] did a very good job with finding practice times," Karp said. "I just couldn't take that anymore and coupled with my ideologically opposed views to hiscoaching style, hockey was not adding to my quality of life as a senior."
Markus said that differences with the coach influenced his decision, but that the hockey team's success last season should nonetheless speak for itself. "It's hard to say something bad about a coach that's gone 14-1; it's hard to argue with the results that he got last year," he said.
Last year was successful for the Jumbos, who went 15-1-1 in their division and brought home the ECAC Northeast Division Title. And for the majority of the non-returners, coaching had nothing to do with their decisions.
"Everyone left for their own reasons, and they are good reasons," senior tri-captain Rob Greene said. "I don't think they quit because of animosity or anything like that, they just found new priorities."
Regardless of reasons, the team will have to compensate for lost talent. One of the most significant losses, not by choice, was former center Jason Boudrow. Boudrow would have been a senior and captain this year, but due to academic ineligibility cannot play for the team. Boudrow, who is not enrolled at Tufts this semester, was named the ECAC Northeast Player of the Year last season, as well as a member of the All-League First Team, after scoring 24 goals and 27 assists.
Havern also hung up his skates this season after seeing considerable playing time the past two years. Last year, he racked up three goals and dished out 10 assists for 13 total points.
"My decision was more personal," Havern said. "I was just burnt out. I have nothing but respect for the coach, staff, and the players that are still on the team, and I wish them the best of luck in the season. I left on good terms and I thank [Murphy] for doing that."
One of the most surprising walkouts was LaQuaglia. He was fourth in scoring for the Jumbos last season as a sophomore, matching his 12 goals of the previous year, and adding 23 assists.
"Rob's a great player, and I wish he was part of our program," Murphy said.
Pessini, who also left, contributed 11 assists last season. Murphy said the defenseman might return to the team in the near future.
Tufts does not house a hockey rink, and in the past, the Jumbos have practiced at a rink in Arlington, constantly competing for ice time. This year, the team switched to a more convenient Malden rink, which will eliminate the unpopular early morning workouts.
"The guys that are no longer playing made their decisions for various reasons, but our program will continue to improve," Murphy noted. "Many of the former players attend every game and support us and what we are trying to accomplish."
The league change - from the ECAC to the NESCAC - has also increased the team's obligations.
"I think the majority of the kids who left the team couldn't put forth the time commitment," Greene said. "What we're dealing with this year is that we're moving up in divisions and in competition, and it's extremely difficult to put in those hours. We're just spending more time on the ice and in the weight room...and we'll be on the road a lot."
Junior tri-captain Mike Carceo agreed that the time commitment poses a new difficulty. "The fact that they all left weeds out the kids who aren't committed," he said. "The kids who are still with us are the ones that are committed...if the others were on the team, they'd probably bring us down."
Markus admitted that one of the reasons he left the team was because of the increased time commitment. "For me personally it was an issue of basically taking up too much time, so I did a cost/benefit analysis, and the costs outweighed the benefits," he said.
Murphy said he harbors no ill feelings towards the players who have left, and wishes they were still a part of his team.
"These guys are not on scholarship, I cannot make them play," he said.
