Jumbos look to straighten out up and down season against Trinity

With three consecutive NESCAC losses now sitting on their season's record, the Jumbos now look to Trinity to get back to their winning ways.

"We want to beat a NESCAC opponent and keep our winning streak going," junior Andy Wood said.

Despite starting the season with a hot 4-0 record, the Jumbos struggled with their conversions on goal, as they took 80 shots over their first four games that resulted in nine total points.

Their inability to hit the net came to a confounding crescendo on homecoming weekend with a shut out loss to Bates on homecoming day and a 1-2 loss to Wesleyan the following day. Both defeats came as surprising heart breakers during a weekend when the Jumbos were expecting a sweep of their opponents.

The two NESCAC losses dropped the Jumbos from sixth place in the national rankings to sixth place in their conference standings. Struggling to regain their composure, the team traveled to Brunswick, ME in an attempt to topple the top ranked Bowdoin Polar Bears.

Once again the Jumbos fell to a conference opponent. Yet throughout the game, they displayed the strength they once possessed, playing perhaps their best game of the season. It was the second half that brought out the best of the squad as the Jumbos got themselves back into a game that was later stolen from them in a heartbreaking overtime.

With a victory against Salve Regina yesterday, the Jumbos finally got themselves back into the win column. Paired with the competitive edge regained this past weekend, the Jumbos can only continue to produce their season's second winning streak.

"Coming up for this weekend, Trinity is going to be big for us," senior tri-captain Matt MacGregor said. "We have to pick it up in practice this week. We have to win on Saturday."

The task of creating a succession of victories will be harder for the Jumbos now than it was at the beginning of the season, as they face tougher opponents. The team's sizzling 4-0 start came against out of conference opponents Lasell and MIT along with NESCAC opponents Amherst and Conn. College _ two traditional basement dwellers.

The Jumbos next four opponents include two teams that sit above them in the standings, 8-1 Williams and 4-2-1 Trinity. While these games will be tough, the heart of the schedule is important for Tufts to secure a high seed in the post-season playoffs.

If the Jumbos are to continue their winning ways, they will need to improve their ability to convert on goal. Netting the ball has been the team's greatest weakness thus far this season. In the last two games the Jumbos have controlled the ball offensively, yet still struggled in scoring points.

Taking 19 shots against Bowdoin with many close shots, the Jumbos finished the day with only one point on the board. The scoring woes continued as the Jumbos ammased only two goals yesterday despite taking 16 shots.

Scoring against Trinity should present an interesting endeavor for the Jumbos, as the Bantams allowed their previous two opponents to score only one goal each _ yet allowed both Williams and Coast Guard to score six and five points respectively. Though the Jumbos have not traditionally dominated the Bantam defense, they have come out on top in their previous two match-ups 1-0.