In a 2010-11 season that saw two Tufts teams defend NESCAC championships and many others pull upsets, hit game-winners and redefine the record books, the Daily sends off what is arguably the greatest athletics class of Jumbos ever by remembering the top 10 moments of the year.
10. Fucillo, Jumbos light up the sky against Amherst: In the ultimate showcase of the football team's new spread offense, Anthony Fucillo — who graduated early, in December — shattered the record books at Amherst on Oct. 30 by racking up 503 passing yards against the Lord Jeffs. Of those yards, 203 came through the air to rising junior Dylan Haas. Though the Jumbos ended up losing the game by what seemed like a basketball score — 70-49, the most points scored in a NESCAC game ever — Tufts' 671 yards of total offense showed the potential of the team's new no-huddle, high-powered attack.
9. Men's basketball makes it back: On Senior Day, in front of a crowd of at least 500, the men's basketball team gutted out a 66-62 win over Bates. The victory clinched the Jumbos the No. 5 seed in the NESCAC tournament as rising junior forward Scott Anderson and rising senior forward Alex Orchowski pulled down rebound after rebound to seal the game. Though Tufts was dismantled in the first round of the conference tournament by No. 4 seed Trinity, the efforts on that day, from a team that will return all five starters next season, ensured the Jumbos' relevance in the NESCAC.
8. Field hockey ices Polar Bears for top seed: In a titanic regular-season finale for both teams, the field hockey team eked out a 1-0 victory over rival Bowdoin on Oct. 29 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Tournament. Graduating senior forward Tamara Brown scored the decisive goal off an assist from classmate Melissa Burke with 15 minutes left in the first half, and the Jumbos continued to cool off the Polar Bear attack for a momentous win, giving up only three shots to Bowdoin all game. Even though the Polar Bears would ultimately go on to best the Jumbos 3-0 in the NESCAC Championship Game, the victory was still a landmark for the impressive Tufts field hockey program.
7. Men's lacrosse puts down Mustangs in No. 1-No. 2 battle: In an early-season non-conference game that was delayed until 9:45 amid thunderstorms in the Baltimore area, then-No. 1 Tufts bested then-No. 2 Stevenson 14-13 in an electric affair. The game was originally slated for a 4 p.m start at Stevenson University, but was played at nearby Towson University instead, where rising senior Steven Foglietta had 24 saves under the lights and the Tufts defense weathered a 76-shot onslaught to escape with a hard-earned win over one of the nation's best teams.
6. Ice hockey nets historic win against Middlebury: Entering this season, the last time the ice hockey team beat Middlebury was when Dwight Eisenhower was president, and many of the current players' parents had not even been born. But all of that changed with a remarkable 3-0 shutout on Nov. 19 at Kenyon Arena. Rising senior goaltender Scott Barchard keyed the victory for the Jumbos, saving all 29 of the Panthers shots. Graduating seniors Zach Diaco and Dylan Cooper put the Jumbos ahead 2-0, and rising sophomore Garrett Sider sealed the deal with an empty netter in the waning minutes. With the victory, Tufts is undefeated against Middlebury over the past two seasons and is slowly improving its overall mark against the Panthers, which now stands at 2-16-3.
5. Hessler enters the record books … again: At 11:38 in the third quarter of an otherwise pedestrian drubbing of Lasell College in Newton, Mass., on March 15, graduating senior attackman D.J. Hessler put in a goal off an assist from rising junior attackman Andrew Fiamengo to make the score 13-4. But what may have not been a big goal in the context of the game had a huge impact on the lacrosse record books, as the goal was the 236th point of Hessler's career, good to pass Bryan Griffin (LA '05) as the highest scorer in school history and make official what fans, teammates and opponents have known for years: D.J. Hessler is one of the best lacrosse players in the nation.
4. Miner strikes gold with walk-off: The most unlikely of heroes came up huge for the softball team in its season finale on May 1 on Spicer Field against Colby. Though graduating senior outfielder Kim Miner hit at only a .184 clip this season, it was Miner who came through with a game-winning hit off the Mules' Lauren Becker in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 0-0 pitchers' duel and clinch a NESCAC East title for the Jumbos. As a result, Tufts earned the right to host the NESCAC Tournament.
3. Hart and soul: With 5:19 left in the second half on a Dec. 11 non-conference tilt with SUNY-New Paltz, graduating senior tri-captain Colleen Hart did what she has done so well throughout her illustrious career at Tufts: She scored. Only this time, after nailing consecutive free throws, Hart moved into first place on the Jumbos' all-time scoring list, breaking a 21-year-old record and officially cementing herself atop the record books as Tufts' most prolific offensive player. Hart currently has 1,422 career points, 165 ahead of second-place Teresa Allen (LA ‘89), and moved into second place on the all-time assists list this season as well.
2. Double your pleasure, double your fun: A crushed RBI triple from graduating senior centerfielder David Orlowitz followed by an RBI single from rising senior third baseman Sam Sager in the top of 12th inning broke a 2-2 tie to launch Tufts past Bowdoin in the NESCAC Winner's Bracket game on May 14 — a game that, due to rainstorms the following day, turned out to be the decisive contest in the NESCAC Tournament. Graduating senior Ed Bernstein closed out the Polar Bears in the bottom of the frame to finish a clutch 4 2/3 of work and keep his ERA perfect on the year, and the Jumbos earned their second straight NESCAC title.
1. Re-lax, bro: Fans of the men's lacrosse team might have needed a defibrillator at times throughout the NESCAC Tournament May 7-8, but the near-heart attack was ultimately worth it for fans on Bello Field, as the Jumbos won their second consecutive NESCAC title thanks to a pair of wild finishes throughout the weekend. In the semifinals against Bowdoin on May 7, graduating senior attackman Ryan Molloy scored with 0.4 seconds left, juking out the Polar Bears goalie just before the final buzzer to give Tufts a 11-10 win. Just 24 hours later, coach Mike Daly's squad clinched the conference championship when rising senior attackman Sean Kirwan scored the game-winner in overtime against Middlebury in a 13-12 decision that set off a wild celebration on College Ave.
—by the Daily Sports Department
