Fresh off its best season in a decade and its most successful campaign since joining the NESCAC in 2001−02, the ice hockey team isn't ready to let up just yet.
After a 12−10−3 season that earned it a NESCAC Quarterfinals appearance, Tufts will take to the ice on Friday against Middlebury, with memories of a brief lead against their NESCAC rivals in the conference quarterfinals surely still lingering.
After having tied Middlebury 3−3 in the season−opener on Nov. 20, 2009, the Jumbos jumped out to a 1−0 lead in their playoff rematch before falling 6−2, ending their season above .500 for the first time since 2000−01.
"Last year was our most winning season since joining the NESCAC," senior quad−captain Dylan Cooper said. "The last game against Middlebury was a disappointing way to go out — we could've been better, especially since we tied them at the beginning of [last] season."
The Jumbos hope to make a playoff run once more since the core of last year's team remains intact.
Tufts' trio of primary offensive production — Tom Derosa, Zach Diaco and Cooper — all return this year as seniors. In fact, all of the Jumbos' top 10 goal−scorers are back.
Derosa, now a quad−captain, was especially potent, with 15 goals and 16 assists to lead the team in points. Diaco and Cooper had 15 and nine goals respectively, and both had 12 assists. With those three scoring and creating opportunities, as well as the stability of sophomore defenseman Trevor John, who ended last year with eight goals and 12 assists, the team appears well on its way to another season in the top half of the NESCAC in goals per game.
The Jumbos still have last year's starting defensemen in John and senior quad−captain Andy Davis, but perhaps more importantly, they have Scott Barchard.
Barchard, a junior quad−captain, was named to the All−NESCAC First Team and All−America Second Team East after shattering the program's goaltending records. With a national−best .939 save percentage and 986 saves, a comparable year from Barchard would be a huge boost to the Jumbos and their playoff chances.
Add that all up, and the Jumbos believe that they can build on their seventh−place NESCAC finish.
"We're looking for a top−four seed," Barchard said. "[We're] trying to bring a NESCAC playoff game to home ice, get the home crowd able to support us."
For that to happen, the team's large influx of new players will have to be effective. After graduating nine seniors in the spring, 11 freshmen join the team this season. On both offense and defense, many of these players are going to be asked to make an immediate impact.
"We have 11 freshmen all with roles to fill because we graduated so many," Barchard said. "But the freshmen are asking the right questions, doing what they have to do. It's good to see everyone coming together."
Both Barchard and Cooper stressed the importance of focusing on one game at a time. The Jumbos will play back−to−back games this Friday and Saturday against conference foes Middlebury and Williams.
"We play in a very competitive division, and we treat every game like a playoff game," Cooper said. "We play every team once, and it's a short season. Every team is going to play you close. You won't trample anyone and you have to make sure not to get trampled."
"It's always a challenge," Barchard said. "Whoever shows up there for 60 minutes, or 65 in overtime, whoever wants it more. At the Middlebury game on Friday we have to have our best game, we have to have our best game every week."
