Going into this year’s rivalry game, Tufts was the No. 1 seed on a 7–0 hot streak. Their opponent, No. 16 Middlebury, was on a two-game win streak.
“We aim to treat every opponent the same way, but in-conference (especially [Middlebury]), gets some extra fire behind it. Middlebury has been pretty dominant historically,” senior Victor Salcedo wrote in a message to the Daily.
The Jumbos won the first face-off and went on the attack, with senior midfielder Ethan O’Neill scoring in the first 20 seconds of play. On the turnover, Salcedo snagged the ball back from Middlebury to give Tufts another attack, with Tufts senior attacker Jack Regnery ducking and dodging to bury another shot over the shoulder of the Middlebury goalie, bringing the score to 2–0 for Tufts. Tufts was not letting up on the face-offs and dominated consistently, quickly getting the ball from Middlebury before they could clear it. Just over two minutes in, however, the Panthers were able to maintain possession and pressure the Jumbos’ defense, breaking through their ranks to sink a goal and bring the score to 2–1 Jumbos.
Tufts won the next face-off and went into an attack, taking two unsuccessful shots before they were able to find the net. Senior midfielder Garret Kelly snagged the ball and fired a shot into the net, bringing Tufts’ lead up to 3–1. The next few minutes passed with aggressive short-stick passes by Tufts, a foul from Middlebury and iron-clad Jumbo defense that never let the Panthers get strong momentum.
Middlebury received a one-minute penalty, giving Tufts an extra-man opportunity, but Tufts was unable to add another point onto their lead. A wide shot by Tufts led to a turnover. After Tufts recovered possession again, high-flying shots finally connected with the net when Kelly fired a long-range shot deep into the net, leaving the score 4–1 for Tufts. The Jumbos followed their goal by unleashing a barrage of unsuccessful shots on the Panthers’ goal that kept their defensemen and goalie scrambling.
By contrast, Middlebury had a comparatively conservative play style, slowing down play on their attack by keeping themselves at arm’s length of the Tufts defense, flinging passes far across the pitch and around the back of the net, searching for an opening while they chewed up their shot clock. As their clock dwindled, Middlebury went in for the kill and scored, cutting Tufts’ lead down to 4–2. Soon after, Middlebury further converted a turnover into a possession and ducked around the side to score again. Tufts responded no less than 14 seconds later with a goal by junior attacker Chase Beyer. The score stood at 5–3 in Tufts’ favor going into the second quarter.
As the game continued, Middlebury and Tufts maintained their patterns of play, but with more battles for the ball in the middle of the field. Tufts kept finding open defensive pockets and using them to their advantage. Senior attacker Brooks Hauser buried a goal less than two minutes into the quarter to give Tufts a 6–3 lead.
After the goal, Tufts did not let Middlebury clear. They regained position and sent another one into the net, courtesy of Beyer. Following a few more skirmishes and turnovers, the Jumbos were able to further widen the gap, gaining a 10–3 lead and frustrating the Panthers.
Middlebury’s attacks became more aggressive, with bigger checks and attempts to weave past the Jumbo defense, but they were still unsuccessful. With the Jumbos’ lightning-quick style of play and laser-focused aim, the Panthers were no match. Hauser scored, with the assist from junior Lucas De La Paz, and the score ticked up to 11–3.
With just over one minute left in the quarter, junior attacker Will Emsing was able to tack one more point onto the scoreboard, and the quarter ended with Tufts leading Middlebury 12–3.
As both teams entered the second half of the game, goal scoring slowed down considerably, with passes failing to connect or flying high over the net posts. Kelly scored another goal toward the middle of the third quarter, making the score 13–3, followed almost immediately by a Beyer backhanded goal from the face-off, making the score 14–3. In the last five minutes of play time in the third quarter, the Jumbos scored again, increasing their lead to 15–3.
In the last quarter, Middlebury was stung by yet another Tufts goal, giving Tufts a 13-point lead. The Panthers fought successfully for a goal, with the ball hitting the Jumbos’ net less than five minutes into the half. After a turnover right after the face-off, Middlebury was able to get another successful shot off, narrowing Tufts’ lead down to a score of 16–5. A flag on the play gave a 30-second man advantage to Tufts, but Middlebury was able to maintain possession and get another goal, upping the score to 16–6.
The Panthers continued to rush the Jumbos’ end with only a few minutes left, battling for more points. With a minute and a half left in the game, the Jumbos fired one last successful shot, giving themselves an 11-point lead. One more penalty, however, gave Middlebury a one-man advantage, and they were able to score. The scoreboard read 17–7 in Tufts’ favor as the clock ticked down to zero.
Tufts will take on Williams in Williamstown on Wednesday to try to keep their win streak alive.
