Revenge will be on the minds of the men's lacrosse team when it travels down to Wesleyan tomorrow in a rematch of last season's NESCAC title game. The Cardinals took the game by a score of 14−10, dashing Tufts' hopes of its first−ever conference title.
Now Tufts will finally get a chance to get even in an important mid−season matchup for both squads. The nationally ranked No. 6 Jumbos (6−0, 3−0) hope to remain undefeated and continue to move up the national hierarchy. Meanwhile, the Cardinals (5−3, 1−2), who have fallen out of the national rankings after dropping their first two conference games, look to keep their heads afloat in the NESCAC race.
"We are definitely thinking about that in the back of our minds, but in preparation, we are looking at it like it is every other game," senior tri−captain defenseman Eytan Saperstein said. "But I would be lying if I said it hasn't been talked about in the locker room a little bit."
The Jumbos beat the Cardinals 12−10 in the regular season last year, but in the conference finals, Tufts fell into an early 4−0 hole from which it could not recover. Despite their undefeated record, the Jumbos have trailed after the first quarter of play twice this season, including a 6−2 deficit to Skidmore that they eventually turned into a 15−10 win. A dominant start will be vital in sending an early message to an upset−minded Cardinals side.
"There have been a few games where we haven't started too strong," senior attacker Jamie Atkins said. "But we have an unbelievable defense that has kept those games close. We have been able to regroup, get refocused, and take it to the teams after that."
The Jumbos' defense will need to be at its best. The 14 goals allowed to Wesleyan in the NESCAC finals were the most the Jumbos allowed in a single game all year. While some of the key players from that Cardinals attack have graduated, those returning include seniors Lonny Blumenthal, who had three goals against Tufts in last year's championship game, and Jon Killeen, who added two goals and two assists. Though the Jumbos are well equipped for an offensive dogfight, a strong defensive effort would take some of the pressure off the attack.
"We have really been taking it one play at a time, one series at a time," Saperstein said. "We can make one stop as many times as we need to. I think also it is a lot of the conditioning and hard work we have put in this offseason. It has definitely shown late in games."
Wesleyan will also have to solve Tufts junior goalie Bryan Petillo, a task that has proven impossible since he took over between the pipes halfway through the Skidmore game in which Tufts trailed. He gave up only one goal in the second half, and has not looked back since, leading the NESCAC with a 5.71 goals−against average and .677 save percentage.
With the extensive history between the two teams, all signs point toward a thrilling finish. Wesleyan is no stranger to the dramatic, having won each of its last two games by a goal a piece. This type of game may favor the Jumbos, though, who are seemingly making eking out conference victories the status quo. Both of the Jumbos' last two NESCAC contest were tied with less than six minutes to go and were decided by a single goal.
"We approach every game with respect for our opponent, but we expect to win," Atkins said. "When it comes to those last minutes, we have a lot of great leadership from all grades, and we stick together. We trust that we can pull it out."
While this game may look easy to call — a national powerhouse versus a conference bottom dweller — things in the NESCAC are rarely that simple. No. 7 Middlebury has already picked up its first conference loss, and Bowdoin has dropped its first two conference matches, falling completely out of the national top 20. The Jumbos are going to have to play smart, mistake−free lacrosse if they hope to avoid a similar fate against a quietly talented Wesleyan squad.
"We have to win the groundball battle, score our goals early and continue to protect our goalies," Saperstein said. "I am very confident going into this game. As long as we play our game, and don't try to do too much, we will be fine."
