The return home did not go as hoped for the hockey team this past weekend.
Tufts had been 5-3 at Valley Forum II coming into games with Trinity and Wesleyan this weekend, and two victories would have vaulted the Jumbos above both teams in the standings. Instead, the Jumbos got the exact opposite, suffering losses to the Bantams and the Cardinals that seriously jeopardized their chances at a conference tournament berth.
The Jumbos came out strong early in their second game, a crucial match-up with the Cardinals on Saturday. Junior forward Joe Milo, in his second game since returning from an injury, netted his fourth goal of the season just four minutes into the opening frame. Senior Matt Tosto fed the puck to Milo, who then fired a slap shot past the far side of Wesleyan junior goalie Mike Palladino to give the Jumbos their first lead in a span stretching over six periods.
But Palladino stood on his head from that moment forward. Tufts earned three power plays in the first period following Milo's goal and outshot the Cardinals 12-5 during that time. However, the Jumbos went into the middle stanza with only a one-goal lead, a margin that would prove to be too slim.
Senior Derek Davidson tied the game at the 5:39 mark, and in the final minute of the period junior Dallas Bossort scored the game-winner. Again, the Jumbos outshot the Cardinals, this time by a 15-12 margin, but Palladino stoned every try.
"[Palladino] is a strong goalie," senior tri-captain Greg O'Connell said. "We knew that going in. They're well coached, and they play in a system where they're constantly trapping. Their offense is sparked by turnovers, and we didn't stick to things we needed to do.
"They're methodic in the way they play. They bought into their system and took advantage of a couple power plays they had."
The final stanza belonged to Palladino and sophomore David Layne. The team's leading goal scorer, Layne added two tallies in the third period, giving him 11 on the season. The insurance goals sandwiched two Wesleyan penalties, but Palladino once again stopped all 13 Tufts shots to bring his total to 39 saves. Despite being outshot 40-28, the Cardinals improved to 6-6-3 in conference play while the Jumbos fell to 4-10-1.
The Jumbos came away empty in all seven power play opportunities, while the Cardinals converted on one of three chances. Tufts now ranks last in the NESCAC in both of the special teams categories, capitalizing on only 13 percent of power plays and killing just 73 percent of penalties.
The game against Trinity on Friday night may well have decided the eighth seed in the NESCAC Tournament. With 1:07 left in the game, the Bantams scored to steal a 4-3 victory.
"It's obviously frustrating, not getting the win," O'Connell said. "It's tough. Our line had a good game - it was a team effort. We played well, we worked hard, but we didn't pull it out."
The first goal of the game was recorded four minutes into the second period when Trinity junior Tom Price scored on the power play. Another power play strike gave the Bantams a two goal lead, but the Jumbos did not go down quietly.
With two minutes to go in the second, senior tri-captains O'Connell and Ross Gimbel assisted on sophomore Doug Wilson's fifth goal this season. Gimbel and O'Connell had three points apiece, but the Jumbos lacked production offensively from other lines. Trailing by a goal heading into the third period, Gimbel scored the equalizer just 16 seconds into the period for his seventh of the season. O'Connell and sophomore Cory Korchin assisted, with O'Connell collecting the 90th point of his collegiate career.
At the five-minute mark of the final stanza, the teams traded goals within a span of 23 seconds, knotting the score at three. But Trinity's Chris Powers broke the stalemate with under two minutes remaining to give the Bantams a 4-3 victory.
"Nothing can change the fact that it happened," O'Connell said. "It's been a tough season, not getting those bounces, not getting those calls."
The losses leave the Jumbos on the outside looking in for a berth in the NESCAC Tournament. With four games remaining, Tufts sits in ninth place, trailing Trinity and Conn. College for the final playoff spot.
"The morale's there," O'Connell said. "But every weekend's a tough game - we're playing some strong teams. We've just got to regroup and practice."
