Tomorrow afternoon, the No. 2 men's lacrosse team will begin its pursuit of a third consecutive appearance in the National Championship game with the season opener at Hamilton. Question marks surround both squads: The game will mark the Continentals' first as a full member of the NESCAC, and the Jumbos' first without the highly touted Class of 2011.
Tufts remains a preseason heavyweight for several reasons, and it will be a steep task for Hamilton to penetrate the Jumbos' solid returning defense or stop their young but talented offense.
While the Jumbos lost a lot on attack, their offense is not all green. Their senior co-captains, attackman Sean Kirwan and midfielder Kevin McCormick, are two of the most lethal shooters in Div. III — they combined for 107 goals last season — and are prepared to lead the attack. They will have to get past arguably Hamilton's biggest strength, though, in senior goalkeeper Max Vaickus.
Vaickus is a three-year starter in the cage for the Continentals and is supported by a respectable defense as well. The Continentals' back line posted a 6.21 goals-against average last year, lower than any NESCAC squad.
On Hamilton's front line, senior attackmen captain Jon Leanos and Henry Burchenal will be at the forefront of the Jumbos' radar. The pair scored 30 and 31 goals in 2011, respectively, and Leanos led the Liberty league in both assists and points.
"Our approach is like every other game or practice: stick to our defensive fundamentals and play hard," junior defender Matt Callahan said. "We're not concerned about matchups or any of their guys really, just about sticking to our rules and playing our best."
Tufts appears to have the answers for Hamilton's attack. The Jumbos' defense remains almost entirely intact from last season's national runner-up squad and has a year of practice and confidence under its belt.
The junior class makes up the core of the defense, with Callahan, Sam Gardner and John Heard leading the poles and midfielder Sam Diss likely to be the key to Tufts' signature transition game. Sophomores Dan Alles and Kane Delaney will also continue to make an impact in the backfield after impressive rookie campaigns, and behind them the Jumbos boast two goalkeepers with National Championship experience.
Still, the combination of an unknown opponent and a young squad poses a risk to the team's communicative skills, especially in the first game of the year. Though the players feel prepared after film sessions all week, Hamilton has the tools to capitalize on any early-season rust the Jumbos may need to shake off.
"Communication is definitely very important to defensive success," Callahan said. "I think we have done a great job in practice all year in developing it and are prepared to face anyone."
The Continentals are sure to come out hungry in their NESCAC debut against the reigning conference kings, while the Jumbos will be looking to make a statement against the newcomers to solidify their precarious position as the nation's No. 2 team.
"It is hard to tell how other teams will perceive us before they see us play," Diss said. "We are more focused with our team and our players and try not to think about anyone else. We are just looking to play consistently on both sides of the field. We are confident with anyone on the field offensively because of the work we've put in during the offseason and preseason."
Tomorrow's game will begin at 1 p.m., and a link to live statistics will be available on the Tufts athletics website.
