Down but not out, the Tufts hockey team will try to put its recent struggles behind it as the Jumbos take on ECAC East foes Castleton and Skidmore this weekend in an attempt to climb out of the conference cellar.
After dropping four of their last five games, including losses to NESCAC opponents Colby and Bowdoin last weekend, the Jumbos have fallen to 8'minus;7'minus;1 overall (4'minus;6'minus;1 NESCAC) and currently occupy the last NESCAC playoff berth ahead of Conn. College and Wesleyan. With just four weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, the Jumbos will be doing all they can to elevate their game and hold on to that spot, if not climb up a few rungs on the ladder.
'The [NESCAC] race is so close, and every game in the NESCAC is winnable from first to 10th,' junior Zach Diaco said. 'Anyone can beat anyone else on any day. We felt like we earned our spot at the top of the standings earlier in the season, and we don't feel like we've fallen that far now.'
The Jumbos' first shot at a turnaround comes with tonight's game against Castleton, the first of a four'minus;game home stand that Tufts hopes will reinvigorate its season.
'We'll be ready to go come [tonight],' coach Brian Murphy said. 'We're rested and we're healthy and we're ready [for Castleton.]'
So far this season, the Jumbos boast a 3'minus;2'minus;1 record on their home ice, including a season'minus;opening tie against powerhouse Middlebury. Tufts also has experience and confidence on its side, as the team already beat the Spartans 5'minus;2 to win the Rutland Herald Invitational in November.
'We like to play at home,' Murphy said. 'It's a lot easier when you don't have to travel 'hellip; It was tough last weekend on the road. We like it here at the [Malden] Forum, and it's good when the fans can come out and support us.'
The Jumbos will be looking to juniors Tom Derosa and Diaco for an offensive spark as they attempt to repeat the November victory. Derosa and Diaco lead the team so far this season with 17 and 15 points, respectively, as well as a team'minus;high seven goals apiece.
Close behind is freshman Trevor John, who, despite his role on defense, is third on the team in both points (14) and goals (six).
In the Jumbos' most recent victory, a 7'minus;1 romping of Suffolk on Jan. 19, Derosa notched a hat trick and an assist for a team'minus;leading four points, and John chipped in a goal and two assists. It will take consistent output from all three of these leaders for Tufts to improve on its recent results, and the contest with Castleton may prove the perfect opportunity to get things rolling.
Saturday's meeting with Skidmore may prove a bit more challenging for the Jumbos, who have a losing streak against the Thoroughbreds that dates back to the 2002'minus;03 season. Fortunately for Tufts, Skidmore, who last year put together a 13'minus;10'minus;3 record and advanced to the ECAC East semifinals, seems to be having a rougher time this season and is currently just 7'minus;10.
One thing the Jumbos won't be looking to change is the play of their special teams, which is performing as well as it ever has. Currently, the Jumbos claim the fourth'minus;best power play and second'minus;best penalty kill in the NESCAC. In their eight games since the start of 2010, the Jumbos have surrendered just three power'minus;play goals and never more than one in a single contest.
'Our penalty kill and power play are playing great,' Murphy said. 'We just need to score more even'minus;strength goals, and we're going to bounce back.'
The team's success with a man in the box can be attributed to strong defense, but there is no denying that outstanding goaltending has played its part as well. Sophomore starting goaltender Scott Barchard currently owns the best save percentage in the NESCAC at .942. Since taking over the starting position as a freshman last year, Barchard has had a strong hand in the majority of the Jumbos' wins and has been a steadying force when the team looks to be wavering.
Getting two victories this weekend would be a major rallying point for the Jumbos, as they face back'minus;to'minus;back NESCAC matchups next weekend when they host Wesleyan and Trinity before hitting the road again. By gaining some confidence now with wins in these non'minus;NESCAC games, the Jumbos can build some momentum as they try to climb the NESCAC standings and advance to the postseason for the second consecutive year.
'We feel that the hardest part of our schedule is behind us now, and nobody is losing any confidence,' Diaco said. 'We've been putting good games together, but just not a full 60 minutes ... We feel like we can beat anybody.'
