Just like their classmates, Tufts athletes get to go away on spring break. The only difference? They're trying to win, not relax. In games that could seriously shake up the national rankings, both lacrosse teams will look to stay undefeated, while other squads will simply try to start off their seasons on the right foot.
Here, the Daily breaks down what each team will be doing while you're sipping margaritas:
Women's Lacrosse
After a 2-0 start to their season, the women's lacrosse team will look to stay hot with a pair of games in Clermont, Fla. The first will be against non-conference opponent Western Conn. St., and then No. 11 Tufts will take on conference rival No. 7 Colby in a rare regular-season, neutral-site NESCAC game. The second matchupwill be critical - Colby finished just one game better than Tufts in the NESCAC standings last year, and the Tufts is hoping to keep its flawless conference record intact.
Men's Lacrosse
The No. 2 men's lacrosse team will also face two opponents capable of tarnishing the Tufts' perfect season so far. On Saturday, the Jumbos will travel to Hoboken, N. J. for a top-five showdown with No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology - the highest-ranked opponent on the Jumbos' 2012 schedule. Then, on Tuesday, the team will continue south to Maryland to take on No. 9 Stevenson, which has not allowed an opponent more than six goals this season and will present a new challenge for Tufts' young but deep offense. The Jumbos will have to go 2-0 over break to maintain their national clout.
Softball
The softball team is gearing up for a ridiculous 15 games in nine days. From March 17-25, the Jumbos will be in sunny Clermont, Fla. for the annual NTC Spring Games, which will give the players and coaches a chance to build chemistry as they prepare to make a run at a NESCAC title. Tufts will open up its season with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against St. Thomas (Minn.) and Hope College and will conclude the trip next Sunday against Oberlin.
Baseball
Yesterday morning, the baseball team headed south to begin a grueling spring break slate. Tufts will play 11 games between tonight's 5 p.m. match with Lynchburg and next Sunday's trip-closer at Virginia Wesleyan. In between, Tufts has matchups with nine other schools, including No. 3 Christopher Newport on March 23. The Jumbos went 5-4-1 on last year's trip to Virginia and North Carolina, and will need some fresh faces - both in the lineup and on the mound - to step up.
Women's Tennis
The No. 5 women's tennis squad will stay at junior captain Lindsay Katz's house in Maryland, where the team will play in a weekend tournament against Washington College and No. 11 Johns Hopkins. After that, the Jumbos will drive down to Virginia to take on No. 8 Washington & Lee. The team will look to justify its top-five ranking after the graduation of former NCAA singles champion Julia Browne (LA '11).
Men's Tennis
The men have been anxious to get outdoors all winter, and they will have a chance to shine against some of the best competition in the country next week. The No. 27 Jumbos will head to Hilton Head, S.C., where they will play a match almost every day. Their most important matchup will be against the University of Chicago, a team ranked only five spots higher than Tufts in Div. III. This early-season showdown could ultimately determine who receives one of the final bids to the NCAA tournament at the end of the season.
Track and Field
Both track and field teams will be in action during both weekends of Spring Break, but unlike their Tufts counterparts, they will remain close to the Hill. The men and women will send small squads to compete in the Husky Invitational at Northeastern this Saturday and the Westfield State Invitational on Saturday, March 24. With only four meets after break before the NESCAC Championships, these invitationals will serve as a chance to hit championship qualifiers early on.
