The hockey team kicked off its season this weekend with a split in a pair of games against NESCAC rivals Williams and Middlebury. The Jumbos ended the double-feature with a 5-1, somewhat expected loss to Middlebury - ranked No. 1 in the country in preseason polls - but got an early-season confidence booster with a dramatic 3-2 win over Williams on Friday.
And for a team looking to rebound from a 3-16 conference record last season, each NESCAC win is a big one.
Senior Kurt Hertzog scored the game-winning goal in Friday's win, Tufts' first over the Ephs since Jan. 11, 2003.
With the score tied 2-2 and under a minute to play, Tufts earned a face-off in the Ephs' zone. The puck came to senior tri-captain Ross Gimbel, who fed first-year defenseman Andy Davis at the point. Davis threaded a centering pass to Hertzog, who shot the puck into an open net with 32 seconds left in the game.
"That was a great play in a great game," Gimbel said. "We went to the bench [before the face-off] and Coach came up with a really good play to our left winger. The play connected, and Davis made a great pass and Kurt buried it."
Tufts came out strong early in the game. At 15:54 in the first period, junior forward Joe Milo blasted a shot that deflected down off the crossbar for the first goal of the game and the team's first goal of the season.
Senior defenseman Matt Tosto doubled the Jumbo lead 1:37 into the second period, scoring from the blue line.
But Williams roared back, tying the game on goals at the 16:06 mark in the second and the 7:44 mark of the third. Hertzog had a chance to score the go-ahead goal on a breakaway late in the period, but he missed the net high and wide. He redeemed himself with the game-winner 19:28 and the Jumbos secured the critical conference win to start the season.
"It was a very encouraging start," senior goalkeeper James Kalec said. "This was the first time we've won a game in the first weekend since I've been here. We're looking for a lot this year and defeating Williams was a step in the right direction."
In its next game, Tufts faced a tall task, squaring off against nationally-ranked No. 1 Middlebury. The game was close until the final period when Middlebury pushed across three goals to win 5-1.
"They're a really strong team," Kalec said. "They were skating great and have strong coaching. They wore us down. They kept moving in the zone and killing power plays. We played them tight - it was 2-1 after two, and it could've gone a different direction."
Tufts power-play defense was strong this weekend, killing two power plays early in the first period of the Middlebury game and coming up big in its first 10 opportunities this season.
However, at even strength at 17:15 into the first, Middlebury freshman forward Michael Kretschmer found the back of the net for the first time in his career. The puck had been iced into Tufts' zone, but a Middlebury forward had a step on the Jumbos in a dash to the puck. Kalec decided to leave his net in an attempt to knock the puck away, and Kretschmer found it on the right boards looking at an open goal. A simple wrist-shot put his team up 1-0, and only 37 seconds later, Middlebury doubled the lead.
In the second period, Tufts capitalized on its first power play opportunity to cut the lead to 2-1. First-year forward Lindsay Walker scored the first goal of his collegiate career, going five-hole on junior goalie Doug Raeder.
Although the Panthers outshot the Jumbos in the first two periods 24-7, Tufts was right there with a chance to tie the game late in the second, drawing a two-minute minor at 19:22. Still, the team could not find the back of the net.
Middlebury increased its lead at 7:40 in the third period with a power play goal. Kalec had covered the puck briefly, but Middlebury junior Jamie McKenna kicked it out and then tapped it in with his stick. The Jumbos found themselves shorthanded again two minutes later and Kretschmer converted on his second goal at 10:09.
"We needed to take a few less penalties and keep our composure better," Gimbel said. "[Middlebury] is a well-coached team and they run their system to near-perfection."
All in all, however, Tufts was pleased with its performance, as it was able to stay close against a national heavyweight that has won eight Div. III national titles.
"Their fifth goal came late, and they got two power plays in the third," Kalec said. "With the exception of special teams, the game was even five on five. The score indicated it was more lopsided than it really was."
The Jumbos will begin the non-conference portion of their schedule next weekend, when they travel to Rutland, Vt. for the Rutland Herald Invitational. The team will enter the tournament confident after its performances against conference rivals.
