On the heels of a 13-1 record and consecutive third-place finishes in the Div. III National Collegiate Club Championships, the Tufts water polo team is aiming even higher this season.
"We're going for the finals this year," senior tri-captain Pete Georgakakos said.
The goal, although lofty, is attainable for a squad returning a number of All-Conference and All-American members, many of whom have played together for years and have developed the chemistry necessary to succeed.
But that's not to say the Jumbos won't have some voids to fill. The team graduated several key seniors, including First-Team All-Conference selection Eric Appelin, who graduated from the Dental School, and co-captains Drew Curhan (LA '08) and Marshall Somers (LA '08), who was named to the Second Team All-Tournament at the 2007 National Collegiate Club Div. III Men's Championship in St. Louis, Mo. The Jumbos will also be playing without senior goalkeeper and First Team All-Conference selection Hayden Reich, who was critical for Tufts last year down the stretch. But with senior tri-captains Georgakakos, Loren Austin and Ben Mitchell taking the lead, the Jumbos are confident that they'll remain strong.
"This year we're going to be more dynamic," Mitchell said.
"We're not just nine players out there anymore," Georgakakos said. "We're an entire team, and everybody's proven themselves to be capable of starting."
One thing the team certainly won't be lacking is a playmaker, as Georgakakos, the reigning division MVP, returns for his senior season. Georgakakos, who has scored 155 goals in his career, will look to build on that total in 2008.
Additionally, in an interesting twist, the team will look to senior James Longhurst, the recipient of last year's Conference Coach of the Year award, to switch from coach to player and fill Reich's spot between the posts.
Longhurst, although lacking in experience as a goalie, is a proficient swimmer and has the build necessary to be an effective water polo goalie.
"I'm not too worried about him," Mitchell said. "He's got the arms and legs of a breaststroker. All we need to do is throw a ball at his face to make sure he's not scared of it."
Joining Longhurst in the defensive effort will be juniors Matt Burke and Braulio Rivas, who led the team in blocked shots and steals last year, respectively.
With Longhurst now competing, the Jumbos will be led this year by new coach and Tufts graduate student Eugen Taso. Taso has emphasized two core principles so far this season: conditioning and awareness without the ball. This year he ran a two-week training camp bereft of balls in order to emphasize the importance of off-the-ball movement.
"It's good to have a new set of eyes watching over you," Georgakakos said. "He can see things that we may have been missing all these years."
Through the difficult practices and workouts, the Jumbos have come out in great shape and boast one of the deepest teams in recent history.
"There were a lot of players who could have started last year who are finally going to get the chance," Mitchell said.
The team has even added two lady Jumbos to the team, freshman Hannah Henderson and graduate student Kendall Webster, who are relentless in the water.
The Jumbos will kick their season into gear this weekend with a tournament at Bates. Tufts is hoping for a replay of last season's opening meet at Colby, where it opened the year 4-0 in a sweep of their North Atlantic Division opponents.
The Jumbos will start the season in a clash with Amherst, who gave them trouble in their first meeting last year — the squads were deadlocked at 9-9 with just four minutes remaining before the Jumbos ultimately lunged ahead, scoring two goals in the final minutes and finishing with a final score of 13-9.
The team's conditioning will be put to the test right off the bat, as Amherst will be one of three opponents Tufts will face tomorrow before taking on Bowdoin Sunday. But the players, who have referred to Taso's workout regimen as similar to a Navy boot camp, should be amply prepared for the challenge.
Ultimately, however, what makes the 2008 team stand out is its enthusiasm for the sport.
"Normally, it's a struggle to get the players into the practices, but not this year," Georgakakos said. "I've never seen them so excited to play before."
