Freshman Doug Wilson stepped up to the plate in the hockey team's Tuesday's match against the Salve Regina Seahawks, propelling the Jumbos to a close-call 5-4 victory over the Seahawks with a clutch goal 28 seconds before the final buzzer off an assist by junior Ross Gimbel.
Wilson's score was a fitting end to a tight, fast-paced match that involved quick rallies and counter-attacks. The win marked the team's second victory of the season and pulled its record (2-2) back to even.
The Jumbos got on the board early in the fourth minute when junior Greg O'Connell put the puck in the back of the net for the first time this season, assisted by senior Brian Bailey and freshman Evan Crosby.
Salve Regina replied under six minutes later with a short-handed goal from senior Travis Hampton.
The first period scoring was far from over, however. Sophomore Joe Milo scored a power-play goal at 11:32, a strike that was followed up by another power-play goal by Gimbel two minutes later.
Penalties in the first period favored Tufts, as three of the four minor infractions were called on Salve Regina players. Throughout the game, the Seahawks served over twice as many penalty minutes as the Jumbos, sitting out 18 minutes on nine whistles compared to just eight minutes on four calls against Tufts. The Jumbos were only able to capitalize on two of their eight power plays, however, and both goals came in the first period. Although the officiating leaned in Tufts' favor, players were convinced that the referee called an even game.
"The officials refereed the game fairly," junior Kurt Hertzog said.
Three minutes into the second period, senior Matt Dalton continued the Jumbo show, putting Tufts up, 4-1, 3:08 into the second period on assists from freshmen Mike Fitoussi and David Antonelli, evidence of the successful incorporation of rookie players into the team.
"The upperclassmen are doing a great job of incorporating the freshmen - they've got a lot of good players and are treating the new players like equals," freshman Mike Fitoussi said.
The sentiment goes both ways, apparently, and while this fusion of new talent and experience comes with some growing pains, it is a defining characteristic of the 2006-07 team.
"The freshmen have been playing very well and contributing to the team," Hertzog said. "We're still young and not too experienced as a team, but we hope to make a run at the NESCAC playoffs by working hard, playing together and staying focused." Following an excellent start to the second period, the Jumbos hit the skids in the remainder of the frame, as Salve Regina scored three unanswered goals in the latter half of the second period and the beginning of the third period to tie the score at four.
The last seven minutes of the third period were a furious scramble for a goal, and every possession was crucial. Tufts was able to recover from two minutes of short-handedness and stave off the score-hungry Seahawks.
In the final minutes, a penalty called on Tufts junior Joe Cappellano squandered a power-play chance but created a 5-on-5 situation. The Jumbos, after six minutes of intense defense, were able to direct their focuses from defense to the attack, setting up the push for Wilson's game-winner in the final minute.
The team's senior co-captains, John Murphy and Peter Corbett, have been a major uniting force for the Jumbos this season, providing the team with leaders on and off the ice.
"John and Peter speak up in the locker room and are working hard out on the ice," Hertzog said.
So far this season, the Jumbos have proven themselves to be a cohesive team rather than one with a particular go-to super-star player. No Jumbo has more than six points, and eight players have found the back of the net this season.
This increased depth will be an asset in injury-ridden sport during the long winter season and should prevent a late-season slip due to injuries, like the one that occurred last season, when the Jumbos lost five of their last nine games and missed out on much of the postseason.
"We have a ways to go, but we also have a lot of good players," Fitoussi said. "We're going to try to bring it all together a become a force to be reckoned with.
