With the puck set to drop tomorrow, marking the start of Jumbo hockey's 60th season, no players are more jittery than the unproven stars-to-be - the freshmen.
Though the core from last year's team returns, 10 new freshmen members of the 26-man squad will make their collegiate debut in tomorrow's contest against Middlebury.
Coach Brian Murphy has constructed a diverse recruiting class that hails from all areas of the country, including Massachusetts, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. Despite the abundance of young players on this year's roster, Murphy expects to improve on the Jumbos' 9-12-3 record from last season.
"This year we definitely have more interchangeable parts," said Murphy, who is entering his ninth season as coach of the Jumbos. "There's a lot more competition for playing time. I'm more confident with the overall lineup."
Freshman Jay McNamara, as a rookie goaltender, will need to prove himself against some tough competition on the team - juniors Issa Azat and James Kalec both hold university records as goaltenders from the last two seasons.
Also coming out for the Jumbos defensively is freshman Doug Wilson. The Saratoga, Calif., native has hockey in his blood; his father Doug Wilson, Sr., played 14 seasons as a defenseman for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. Wilson won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 1982 and currently serves as general manager for the Sharks.
Freshmen Evan Crosby and Ben Kirtland have big skates to fill. They are among the freshmen replacing the recently graduated Matt McCarthy as forwards on the team. McCarthy was named to the All-NESCAC team and was selected to the prestigious New England Writers' Team, compiling 49 goals and 43 assists in his four seasons with the Jumbos.
"Crosby and Kirtland have been working hard in practice," said sophomore Joe Milo, who turned heads last year with strong skating and attacking skills. "But the freshmen are all working hard. It's hard to pinpoint any particular one to watch."
The influx of the class of 2010 to Jumbo hockey has raised the stakes for the core of returning players and the intensity of daily practices.
"The freshman class is upping the standard for the upperclassmen - they bring a great deal of competitiveness and athleticism to practice," junior defenseman Joe Cappellano said.
This athleticism will help Tufts become a better skating team, translating to faster movement of the puck and stronger attacks. Such improvements will help the Jumbos stay competitive against formidable league foes such as the Middlebury Panthers - eight-time NCAA Div. III Champions - as the team tries to improve on last season's disappointing finish.
"Last year the team fell short because of a small bench and late-season injuries," said Cappellano, a flaw hopefully repaired by the large recruiting class of 2010, which gives the Jumbos a deeper bench than in years past, and has been steadily working to raise their level of play to integrate with the Jumbos' strategy.
"Preseason definitely was tougher than high school workouts," freshman David Antonelli said. "I expect that the increased athleticism of college hockey will make for a much faster-paced game."
Antonelli, a wing from Westwood, Mass., does not expect to score much but still wants to make a valuable contribution in his rookie year.
"I hope to stay out of the way of the scorers as well as create some opportunities to get some goals on the board," Antonelli said.
Most upperclassmen agreed that the freshmen bring youthfulness to the team that gives players motivation in practice and will hopefully improve play during games.
"The freshmen all have an intensity and competitiveness that is upping the intensity of team workouts," Milo said.
Though the new stars of Jumbo hockey have yet to be determined, the talented freshmen give the team the best chance for success in a competitive league and to redeem last year's shortcomings.
