Hockey team goes 1-1 on weekend swing

The hockey team's up and down weekend leaves the team maintaining a firm hold on one of eight playoff spots, heading into the final week of the regular season The Jumbos started their weekend out on the right foot recording their second win in a row by defeating a strong Hamilton team, 5-2. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, their luck ran out on Saturday as they suffered a, 4-3, overtime loss to the Amherst Lord Jeffs.

The match against Amherst began with a first period that lacked excitement as both teams exchanged shots on goal and entered the second session tied 0-0. It wasn't until mid-way through the second period when the Jumbos seemingly began to take over the game.

Eight minutes in, senior co-captain Mike Carceo netted his eighth goal of the season. Only three minutes later, junior Pat Byrne recorded his 12th goal of the season putting the Jumbos up 2-0.

The Jumbos control of the game was short lived though as the Lord Jeffs cut the lead in half with seven minutes left in the period. Amherst's leading scorer, sophomore forward Beau Kretzman, scored his season's 19th goal to put the score at 2-1 entering the third period.

When only a minute had gone by in the third, the Lord Jeffs' tied the game up as sophomore Thierry Pauyo found the back of the net. The Jumbos did not go down easy though as mid-way through the third sophomore John Hurd finally took advantage of a power-play opportunity for Tufts, putting his team up 3-2.

But Amherst refused to surrender and a penalty call opened the door for the Jeffs, which enabled them to score with 1:49 left in regulation, sending the game into overtime.

With 1:18 left in overtime, Amherst's first year forward Ted Bickel's shot bounced around in a pack of players before finding the back of the net.

"It was just a heartbreaking loss," Carceo said. "We outplayed them most of the game and they just got a couple lucky bounces to take it from us."

Amherst improved to 7-11-4 overall and 7-7-3 in the NESCAC, a record good enough to secure them fifth place overall in the conference. Meanwhile the Jumbos fell to 7-8-4 overall and 7-8-2 in the conference.

With three games left and two against conference opponents, the Jumbos have clinched themselves a playoff spot. Even with an appearance in the postseason secured, the Jumbos had entered this past weekend of play hoping for better luck so that they could improve in the standings and raise their seeding going into the tournament. With three more games left in the schedule the Jumbos may end up anywhere between the sixth and eighth seed in the NESCAC tournament.

The team helped its cause on Friday night in its decisive win over Hamilton.

"The way we played Friday was the best all around game we've played all year," Carceo said.

A high-powered Jumbos offense and strong goal tending from freshman Matt Ninneman helped the Jumbos upset the Continentals. After losing 10-2 to this team last year, the Jumbos were pleased to earn the win.

"We just came out and played hard," coach Brian Murphy said. "It was a little bit of a revenge factor too as they just poured it on us last year."

Scoring early, the Jumbos gained a lead four minutes into the first period on a goal from freshmen Zak Smotherman. Though Hamilton tied the game early in the second period, the Jumbos responded as leading scorer, sophomore Shawn Sullivan netted his 11th goal of the season.

Sullivan's goal was only the beginning of a third period onslaught that put the Jumbos in control of the game as they scored three more goals.

The team was also aided by Ninneman's 32 saves. Despite junior Ben Crasper's recovery from a knee injury, which has sidelined him since mid-January, the recent performance of Ninneman has kept the freshman in the net and the veteran on the bench. Ninneman has consistently helped keep his team in games as this weekend was no different.

"Matt's done a great job for us," Murphy said. "He doesn't seem to exert too much energy in goal. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time."

Heading into the last week of play the team seems pleased with its performances as of late. After being plagued by a lack of consistency all year, the Jumbos finally feel like they're going in the right direction.

"We're pretty much close if not there for being consistent," Murphy said. "We're playing much better in our own end. We're playing as well as we have been as we're going into the playoffs."