This weekend, the hockey team begins its home season with two NESCAC matchups, facing Williams tonight and Middlebury on Saturday afternoon. Both of last year's matchups against these teams served as crucial lessons for the development of head coach Brian Murphy's squad.
Last year, Tufts suffered a disappointing 5−0 road loss to Williams in just its second game of the season. Ironically, the Jumbos hope to reverse that result this evening by channeling last year's play against Middlebury. In Tufts' first game of the 2010−2011 season, the Jumbos soundly defeated the Panthers 3−0, marking the program's first win over Middlebury since 1955.
So far, the Jumbos are a perfect 2−0 in conference play, and despite two tough non−conference losses, Tufts showed potential in its opening road series against Trinity and Wesleyan.
"Our two strong NESCAC wins are important going into this weekend," senior forward Evan Story said. "They give us the mindset that we can play with any team, and this year NESCAC play is much more important because we play each team twice as opposed to once."
Last year, the Jumbos went just 5−14 in NESCAC games, but they can improve to 4−0 this weekend if they use those performances as learning experiences and this year's disappointing losses as motivation. The fans and home atmosphere at Malden Forum, enhanced by students traveling to the game on the fan bus, will also provide the Jumbos with an added edge.
"Playing at home always has its benefits, especially on Friday night when there's a good crowd in the stands," said sophomore forward Kyle Gallegos, who leads the Jumbos in scoring this season. "It certainly gives us an upper hand in terms of momentum and energy."
As the Jumbos welcome the Ephs to the rink, Tufts hopes to avenge last year's embarrassing shut out, during which then−senior Connor Olvany and then−sophomore Eric Rubino contributed two goals apiece in the Ephs' dominant effort. While Williams graduated Olvany, Rubino returns to face the Jumbos once again, and the forward already has two goals during his junior season.
Williams comes into tonight's game undefeated, boasting a 2−0−2 record that includes wins over Colby and Babson. The Ephs, however, have also narrowly escaped three overtime contests in four games, indicating that if the Jumbos can capitalize late, they can hand the Ephs their first loss of the season.
Tufts must also score early, however, and prevent Williams from doing so. Last winter, Rubino netted the first Williams tally just 15 seconds into the opening period, stifling the Jumbos' momentum and giving the Ephs an immediate 1−0 lead.
"Last year Williams obviously played a very good defensive game by clogging up the middle of the ice," Gallegos said. "I think to be successful we need to use our speed and get pucks to the net, otherwise we're going to be caught on the perimeter trying to make low−percentage plays."
This season, the Jumbos have continued to struggle early in games. Last weekend, the team dug itself a deep hole, falling behind 3−0 to SUNY Morrisville, and was unable to come back, losing 4−2 to the Mustangs. The Jumbos must improve on their first−period play and focus on limiting penalties in order to maximize their chances for a win on Friday.
"Williams plays a similar style to Middlebury," Story said. "In order to shut them down we will need to be disciplined and mistakes must be minimized. As far as scoring we need to be stronger in and around the cage; we've been getting opportunities but we need to capitalize on them especially when we're close to the goal."
On Saturday, however, the Jumbos hope to replicate their play from last November against a Middlebury team that is now 2−1−1 overall and perfect in the NESCAC. Last winter, dominant performances from then−senior quad−captain Dylan Cooper (LA '11) and classmate Zach Diaco (LA '11) helped Tufts to a monumental victory on the Panthers' home ice.
"Beating Middlebury last year was great for our confidence early in the season," Gallegos said. "Being a freshman, I didn't know much about them but hearing from some of the older guys that they are always a good team I knew it would be a big win if we could pull it off."
"That game helps with the preparation going into this weekend because having experience against a top NESCAC team can really be an asset, especially since we have a much younger team this year," he added.
Senior tri−captain Scott Barchard will be the cornerstone of Tufts' defensive efforts as the Jumbos look to post a second straight shutout against their foes from Vermont. Last season, the All−American keeper posted 29 saves in his team's winning effort, including a blocker save with three minutes remaining in the game to preserve the blanking. Barchard has allowed just 11 goals this season while posting 153 saves.
"Through our first five games our team seems to have a great work ethic," freshman defender Blake Edwards said. "If Scotty can continue to stop the puck the way he has been, and everyone else does their job, we're all confident in our chances."
It is crucial, however, that the Jumbos test Middlebury's sophomore goalkeeper Nick BonDurant. In his first collegiate appearance last winter, the Panthers' netminder saw just fifteen shots, but if the Jumbos can overwhelm BonDurant with quality looks while holding Middlebury in their own defensive end — Tufts has what it takes to move up the NESCAC standings in the doubleheader.
"Saturday we will be prepared for the usual Middlebury style of hockey," Story said. "They'll try to stretch the ice out and open the game up, but the smaller size of our rink will be advantageous [to us] and force them to play in tighter a space."
"Williams and Middlebury are always at the top of the conference, and the returning players make sure we know that," Edwards added. "They will be some of the toughest games we play all year, and we've had to prepare that much harder this week in order to be ready Friday and Saturday."
