Coming off a reassuring 7-2 win against Plymouth State on Tuesday night, the men's hockey team (5-16, 3-14) will look to finish off the season on a positive note as it faces NESCAC conference rivals Wesleyan and Trinity this weekend. After an eight-game slide, the win earlier this week boosted the team's morale and helped salvage what had become a frustrating season.
The team's best chance to pick up a win will come against the Wesleyan Cardinals tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Malden Arena. With a 5-12 conference record, the team is ninth in the NESCAC and has lost 12 of its last 14 games. And if history is any measure, this game should be quite a thriller, as last year the two teams battled back and forth in a game that resulted in a 7-6 Wesleyan victory. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Jumbos, making revenge an incentive in tonight's game.
Wesleyan is led by junior John Blanchard - incidentally the Cardinal who netted the game winner last year - who has 14 goals and nine assists on the season. Wesleyan's goaltender, sophomore Jim Panczykowski has fared well in net this year, and despite giving up 3.36 goals per game, he has managed to save 91.5 percent of the shots against him.
Wesleyan is also coming off of a brutal week, having faced off against NESCAC powerhouses Williams and Middlebury, who boast a combined 27-4-3 season record. The Cardinals only mustered one goal in these two contests and, like the Jumbos, are probably frustrated with how their season has progressed.
Tufts will look for the balanced offense that gave it seven goals on Tuesday from five different players, including three freshmen. Freshman John Hurd picked up a hat trick in the contest and trails only junior co-captain Mike Carceo (35) in total points this season with 21.However, the offense was unproductive at times and played in bursts, as showcased by the four goals scored within ten minutes in the third period.
On Saturday, the team will host the Trinity Bantams (10-5-1, 13-5-1) for its final game of season at 4 p.m. Trinity has had a successful season in conference play and will look to gain momentum going into the NESCAC playoffs that begin next Saturday. Currently the sixth seed in the conference, Trinity has the possibility of moving up to fourth with two wins this weekend.
The Bantams offense is led by freshman Jeffrey Natale and senior Matthew Greason, who have 22 and 21 points respectively. Balance appears to be the team's strong point, however, as nine players have over 14 points this season. Also helping out is the stellar play of senior goalkeeper Geoffrey Faulkner, who is third in the NESCAC with a 1.92 goals against average.
Since the Jumbos are not playoff-bound this year, the two contests will be the last collegiate games for the team's three seniors. Goalkeeper Ian Kell has seen the most ice time of the three. In his sophomore year, Kell posted a 12-8-1, and led his team into the semifinals of the ECAC Northeast playoffs. This year, Kell has shared time with sophomore Ben Crapser and has recorded a 84.2 save percentage.
Co-captain Rob Greene has picked up three assists this year and has successfully assumed a leadership role on the team. Goalkeeper Jeremy Zuniga returned to action this year, and recorded two saves in Tuesday's victory over Plymouth State. While the senior leadership will be missed, the young hockey team will continue to improve as it gains experience in the elite NESCAC conference.
