Tomorrow at 1 p.m. on Bello Field, the seventh-ranked men's lacrosse team will host No. 13 Amherst in a highly anticipated matchup between two of the top squads in the NESCAC. The Daily breaks down the five keys to a Tufts victory:
1. The fearsome trio
Before returning briefly in Tuesday night's contest against Endicott, senior co-captain Sean Kirwan, the Jumbos' most dominant crease man, had been sidelined with a high ankle sprain. In his absence, the trio of senior and fellow co-captain Kevin McCormick, sophomore Beau Wood and freshman Cole Bailey have stepped up to lead the Jumbos, and the NESCAC, in offensive production.
The Jumbos lead the conference in points per game, averaging 18.11, while the Lord Jeffs are a close second at 17.00. Following a three-goal performance Tuesday, Wood jumped to third in overall scoring in the conference with 33 points, trailing only Amherst's own senior quad-captain Evan Redwood and sophomore Devin Acton.
Wood leads the conference in points per game, while McCormick has proven his willingness to shoot, firing a league-leading 102 shots. In his first year of collegiate play, Bailey has also stepped up in a starting role and has proven himself as a trusty feeder from behind the cage, posting a league-leading 18 assists through nine games.
In Tufts' two losses, to No. 4 Stevenson and No. 16 Trinity, the trio was held to a combined four and six points, respectively. In the Jumbos' nine wins, they averaged a combined 11.11 points. If these three can get open looks and exercise patience with their shots Saturday, they will be able to diffuse pressure from the rest of the offense and set the tone early by putting the Lord Jeffs' defenders on their heels.
2. Containing Amherst's trio
The Lord Jeffs boast their own menacing offensive trio, and perhaps the only other threesome in the NESCAC capable of putting up points like the Jumbos' top scorers do. Redwood, Acton and senior attackman Cole Cherney have combined for 103 points in 11 games and have been a thorn in the side of many teams with weaker defenses.
This season, one of Tufts' biggest strengths is its experience and depth on the defensive end. The Jumbos have seen strong play from a core close-defensive unit as well as from their bench, their short-stick defensive midfielders and their long-stick midfielders. All have played both solid settled defense and transition defense, and have been quick to force turnovers and capture possessions at midfield.
It remains to be seen whether the Jumbos will approach the trio with a prescription of man defense and strict matchup assignments or work in a zone to slide and push out on the threesome. Although both teams enjoy extreme depth on attack - the Lord Jeffs have outscored opponents 118 to 95 - expect Tufts' proven back lines to stand tall barring a negative penalty margin or a sensational day from Amherst's premier scorers.
3. Fast breaks and transition
Transition scoring has always been a cornerstone of Tufts' offensive game, and the Jumbos have exploited opposing midfields and defenses well in their victories this season. Senior midfielder Nick Rhoads has helped the cause, winning a league-leading 62.9 percent of his faceoffs to give the Jumbos quick numbers and looks at the cage. Meanwhile, Amherst sophomore Duncan Morrissey ranks just seventh in the conference, winning 50.8 percent of faceoffs.
Strong wing play from sophomore Kane Delaney, junior Ryan Jorgenson, senior Mark Findaro and freshman Tim LaBeau has helped Rhoads earn his impressive percentage. If the Jumbos can keep up the stellar work on faceoffs, they will secure crucial possessions and, perhaps more importantly, keep the ball out of Amherst's hands.
When starting possessions from their defense, Tufts must get upfield fast, maximizing McCormick's and junior midfielder Sam Diss' speed to push the ball in transition and find Bailey, Wood and other offensive targets before Amherst's defense has a chance to recover. While Bailey is a strong feeding option from behind the net in a settled offense, the Jumbos would do well to maximize both efficiency and production without slowing down - since they play their best lacrosse at a fast pace.
4. Rides
Tufts' transition game has kicked into high gear at the offensive end this season, and the Jumbos' attackmen have proven both fast and aggressive, riding opposing defenses well after shooting or turning the ball over to force failed clears and changes of possession.
While the Jumbos have converted 85.5 percent of their clears, they have held opponents to a 74.6 conversion percentage. On Tuesday, Endicott managed to clear just 17 of 27 attempts over midfield.
Even if the Jumbos are unable to force turnovers or failed clears at midfield, strong rides from the attackmen can slow the Lord Jeffs' transition game and allow the Jumbos' defense to prepare for settled situations. Redwood in particular is known for his speed and by breaking up the fluidity of the Lord Jeffs' transition game, the Jumbos can minimize his impact and afford themselves a better chance to get back on the defensive end.
5. Keeping composure
In the Jumbos' closer games this season, including some victories, they have shown weaknesses on defense when penalties stack up and opposing offenses are presented with ample man-up opportunities. Against Middlebury, Tufts gave up three extra-man goals, nearly relinquishing a five-goal lead late in the third quarter.
Against Amherst, it will be crucial for Tufts' defenders to keep level heads and play smart. With players as skilled as Redwood, Cherney and Acton firing on them, there will be little room for error should the Lord Jeffs get multiple man-up chances. They will likely cash in where weaker teams like Williams -which went 0 for 7 on man-ups last Saturday - were unable to do so. In Tufts' loss to No. 16 Trinity, the Bantams converted three of four extra-man looks.
The Jumbos cannot afford any lapses in composure against the Lord Jeffs. While its man-down defense has improved of late, Tufts cannot give Amherst that edge if it hopes to come away with a win on Saturday.
