The Gantcher Center was extra busy this weekend, playing host for the Tufts Pentathlon Friday night and Tufts Invitational II on Saturday.
After three losses in the NESCAC Championships this past weekend, the No. 25 Tufts men's squash team will almost assuredly lose its place in the College Squash Association (CSA) C−division, forcing the squad to compete in the less−prestigious D−division at the CSA National Singles Championships on Feb. 25 at Harvard. The losses bring Tufts to 4−15 overall and just 1−10 against NESCAC opponents this season.
The hockey team continued to slip in the rankings this weekend, suffering losses to NESCAC rivals Wesleyan and Trinity on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
In a weekend when points were hard to come by, the women's basketball team fell to NESCAC opponents Amherst and Trinity, losing 73−35 to the Lord Jeffs on Friday night and 63−48 to the Bantams on Saturday afternoon.
Tufts had an incredible weekend at the two−day unscored Wheaton Invitational against Wheaton, Clark and No. 5 MIT, earning numerous lifetime−best and conference record times. For half the team, it was the last meet of the season, and for the other half it was the final tune−up before the NESCAC Championships.
Before we get started, I'll give you a bit of my sports background. I love the New York Yankees, but also root for underdogs no matter who they are. I hate Boston sports, but love soccer and golf. Now that I have probably pissed off my entire readership, let's get down to business.
For half of the women's swimming and diving team, the Wheaton Invitational was their championship. They had been preparing for this meet throughout the season, and they spent the past week easing off practice schedules and doing everything possible to ensure that they'd post their best times of the year.
Just 20 years ago, Tufts had one of the best men's squash programs in the nation. But now, following weekend losses to Wesleyan, Connecticut College and Hamilton in the NESCAC Championships, the No. 25 Jumbos will almost certainly fall out of the College Squash Association (CSA) top 24 for the first time in more than 10 years and will most likely finish ninth or 10th in the NESCAC at the end of the season.
The No. 24 Jumbos continued their losing streak this weekend, falling 8-1 on Saturday against No. 21 Bowdoin and 5-4 in a nail biter on Friday against No. 20 Colby. Their sixth straight loss brings Tufts' record to 5-10 on the season.
In basketball, there's the sixth man who comes off the bench. In football, there's the 12th man in the stands. And for Tufts swimming, there's the 24th man who gets to join the conference team.
Rathman, you make good points, but you should stick to baseball. You're horribly wrong on this one. It's time to get on the Green Bay bandwagon, America. Here's why Aaron Rodgers and company will win come Sunday:
For the third time in the last six years, the Pittsburgh Steelers will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Mike Tomlin's team won the big game in its past two trips, beating the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2009. Here are five reasons to believe that the Steelers will bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Pittsburgh again on Sunday.
In what may be the biggest weekend of the team's season, the 15-3 (4-2 NESCAC) Jumbos will head to western Massachusetts Friday for a matchup with No. 2 Amherst before traveling to Connecticut for a critical Saturday afternoon game against Trinity.
The men's basketball team may be sitting in the middle of the pack at 3-3 in the NESCAC, but after back-to-back double-digit wins, they're riding high. On Tuesday night, Tufts welcomed UMass-Boston to Cousens Gymnasium for one of its last non-league matchups of the season. And while everything outside the gym was freezing, the Jumbos were heating up inside. After giving up just 11 points in the first half, the team went on to dominate the Beacons 69-39 and bolster any confidence that had wavered after going 1-1 the previous weekend.
Since entering the league in 2005, Heath Miller has been one of the most consistent, yet underrated, tight ends in football.
Aaron Rodgers is quickly becoming one of the league's most deadly postseason quarterbacks, posting an average QB rating of 109.0 in his four career playoff games. But he will be facing a unique opponent Sunday in the form of NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu, a strong safety who finished tied for second in the league with seven interceptions this season despite missing two games.
Over the course of every season, teams develop methods to cope with distractions and frequent competitions and practices. The women's fencing team is keeping its plan simple: Stay focused and keep your head down.
Aaron Rodgers' Durability
The men's swimming and diving team dominated Wheaton College on Saturday 188-105 in Hamilton Pool for its last home meet of the season.
After losing eight consecutive games, the hockey team was looking for a desperately needed change in results this weekend as they took to the road to face ECAC East rivals Castleton and Skidmore. What they got was more of the same: two more blowout defeats and a losing streak that has now reached double digits.
