With the game on the line, sophomore kicker Adam Auerbach remained unfazed, booting the winning field goal to give the Jumbos the 25-22 come-from-behind victory in their Homecoming matchup with Bowdoin.
For the field hockey team, this year's Homecoming match against the Colby Mules was a game for the record books.
Coming off a disappointing loss to the Brandeis Judges earlier in the week, the Tufts women's soccer team was determined to bounce back and grab another conference win against Colby College on Saturday afternoon.
The men's soccer team came into its game versus the visiting Colby Mules on Saturday looking to notch its first NESCAC victory of the season. But the Jumbos were unable to achieve a key win, dropping another heartbreaking overtime game 3-2 and falling behind in the struggle for a spot in the NESCAC Tournament.
Amy Wilfert has continued to firmly entrench herself at the top of the women's cross country team's ladder, and is racking up accolades along the way.
In the NHL, there is nothing quite like playing for the Montreal Canadiens. In a city situated right in the heartland of hockey country, without another professional sports team other than the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL — if they really count — it would be a significant understatement to say that the Montreal natives are hockey-crazed. To an extent, the Canadiens are like the New York Yankees of hockey. With 24 Stanley Cup titles, they are the most successful hockey franchise in history. They play in a city where every player, from the All-Star veteran to the unproven rookie, is under the constant scrutiny of their fans. And just like their Bronx brethren, the Habs have had some playoff struggles of late. Since winning their last Cup in 1993, the Canadiens have not advanced past the second round of the postseason. The Canadiens spent this past offseason loading up on payroll in true Yankee fashion, striving to make a run at a 25th championship and a return to their former glory. In an effort to reinvent the team, which suffered a first-round playoff loss last year at the hands of the archrival Boston Bruins, General Manager Bob Gainey virtually put together an entirely new squad. One of Gainey's most highly touted moves was the signing of Scott Gomez from the New York Rangers. Though Gomez, totaling 58 points last year, is coming off his least productive season since 2002-03, the Canadiens are hopeful that they will be getting the Scott Gomez of old for this year. Over the course of seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils, a span that included two Stanley Cup victories, Gomez averaged 64 points per season. Additionally, Gomez has had only one season with fewer than 40 assists since breaking into the NHL in 1999. With a keen sense of the ice and an uncanny instinct for finding his teammates through the heaviest of traffic, Gomez has the potential to be an offensive sparkplug for the Canadiens. As fate would have it, Gainey also brought in Gomez's former New Jersey linemate Brian Gionta. In the post-lockout season in 2005-06, both Gomez and Gionta posted career-high marks with 84 points (33 G, 51 A) and 89 points (48, 41), respectively. The two have already shown signs of the chemistry they once had, as Gomez assisted Gionta's overtime game-winner against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Coming off a career-best 82 points last season, Mike Cammalleri should be the final component of this line. Last season, the 27-year-old led the Calgary Flames with 39 goals — six of them game-winners — and ranked second on the team in points. Cammalleri could also provide a major boost to the Canadiens' lackluster power play, which last year finished with a lowly 19.3 percent success rate. Cammalleri lit the lamp 19 times last season with the man advantage, tying the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin for second in the league. Through four games, in which the Canadiens are 2-2, this potent trio has already contributed seven combined points, one fourth of the team's total output. Not coincidentally, they accounted for five points in the Habs' first two contests of the season — both overtime wins — but were held to just two over the next pair of games, both of which Montreal lost. Behind the bench, Gainey also made a major coaching change, hiring 15-year coaching veteran Jacques Martin. Martin, who ranks 10th all-time in wins and has guided eight squads to the playoffs, is known for his emphasis on defensive play. With that in mind, it was inevitable that Gainey would have to bring on some tough blue-liners to appease his new skipper. To fit the bill, Gainey acquired Hal Gill, Jaroslav Spacek and Paul Mara. Gill brings 11 years of NHL experience with him to Montreal, not to mention a very respectable plus-minus of +11 as a member of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins last year. Martin clearly already sees Gill's importance to the team and has named him one of the assistant captains to start the season. The performance of these three newcomers is going to be even more crucial since the Habs' best defenseman, Andrei Markov, suffered a freak injury in the season opener against Toronto that will sideline him for at least four months. The pressure should be eased slightly, though, by Gainey's most recent move: inking Marc-Andre Bergeron to a one-year deal on Tuesday. With 14 goals last season, seven of them on the power play, Bergeron could be a big boost on special teams as well. Despite Gainey's clear willingness to explore all options to improve his team, he chose to maintain the status quo at what might be the most crucial position on the ice. Carey Price, a 22-year-old, will be between the pipes at the Bell Centre this year. In just his third season, Price looks to be one of the NHL's most promising young goaltending prospects and, when he is on, the Canadiens will have absolutely no excuse to lose. In his rookie year, Price notched 24 wins in 42 games and posted a 2.56 GAA and .920 SV%. He led all rookie netminders that year in both wins and save percentage, as well as shutouts (three). Though he struggled a bit through his sophomore year and his postseason performance was abysmal, Price looks to have righted the ship, stopping 77 of the first 81 shots he faced in Montreal's first two games of the year. He clearly struggled Wednesday, however, in a lopsided 7-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Montreal will have to hope that was just a small hiccup. The high turnover during the offseason makes Montreal one of the most open-ended teams this year. Of the team's top-five point scorers from last year, only two remain. And with Markov, second on the team with 64 points, out for the better part of the year, there are definitely some holes to fill. In order to compete this season, Montreal is going to have to up its offensive production in a big way. The Habs finished just thirteenth in the league in scoring last year, while Stanley Cup contestants the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins were first and sixth, respectively. But even more crucial to the Canadiens will be the speed with which their new members gel on the ice and adjust to life under the hockey microscope that is Montreal.
The final regular-season home game for senior co-captains Brogie Helgeson and Dena Feiger was business as usual for the women's volleyball team, which improved to 17-1 with a dominant three-set victory over NESCAC rival Bowdoin on Senior Day. Since Feiger and Helgeson came to Tufts as freshmen, the Jumbos have posted an impressive record of 88-26. And in the last two years, when the dynamic duo has been more prominently featured in the lineup, the team's record has been an even more impressive 43-5. "The team did a really great job of making Senior Night special for us," said Feiger, who last week became the second Tufts senior in a row to be named NESCAC Player of the Week. "After four years on the team, it was a great night … we got to play a NESCAC team in our house and beat them in three [sets] in our last regular-season match here at home." Bowdoin came into Wednesday's matchup riding a five-game winning streak, but the Polar Bears' defense struggled to contain the Jumbos' junior outside hitters Caitlin Updike and Dawson Joyce-Mendive, as they compiled 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Updike, who came into the match averaging just over three kills per set, averaged five kills per set in Wednesday's match. The Polar Bears, on the other hand, did not have one player who totaled more than six kills in the entire contest. Tufts' outside hitters did a solid job of getting around a stout Bowdoin front line, which features two players over six feet tall (the Jumbos, by comparison, have one). In Tufts' first matchup with Bowdoin in September, the Polar Bears had 9.5 team blocks. On Wednesday, that number was only four. The Tufts offensive attack stressed quickness and accomplished its goal with great efficiency, seemingly scoring at will all night. "When you have a big block, it is important for your offense to run quickly," coach Cora Thompson said. "If the set is high, the two blockers are going to be there waiting. You can't hit through [the Bowdoin block defense], they're a very strong team. For us the importance is to be quick with our ball control and make sure that we beat the block, and that's what Dawson and Updike were doing tonight." Wednesday's straight-set victory was the seventeenth consecutive win for the Jumbos following a season-opening loss to UMass Boston — the program's longest string of consecutive victories this decade. With the win, this year's Tufts squad surpassed the previous record of 16 straight victories which it had jointly held with the 2004 team that finished with a 28-6 record and made it to the finals of the NESCAC Tournament. Senior Night at Cousens Gymnasium featured one of the largest fan turnouts of the season, with approximately 150 fans in attendance cheering on Helgeson and Feiger in their final regular-season game in Medford. Among these fans was University President Lawrence Bacow, who said that he was enjoying his first time watching sports in the new Cousens Gym, which opened this fall. "This is actually the first time that there's been a home game when I haven't had a function," said President Bacow, who was in Detroit the day before and said that as soon as the game ended he had to head back home to pack for a trip to Chicago. "It's fun to be here, and this gym looks fabulous — I can't wait to see what it looks like with fans on all four sides!" The Jumbos finished with a perfect 10-0 record at home,and, after its latest victory over Bowdoin, the team improved its NESCAC record to 3-0. The next stage of the season, however, looks to be more challenging. The Jumbos will spend the rest of the year — the bulk of their NESCAC schedule — on the road, facing such stiff competition as Colby and Williams. "It's fun to have home games, but I think that now we've found our confidence [and] learned how to play with each other," Joyce-Mendive said. "It's good to take it on the road. We always want to win in our house, but now we can try to win in their house." Due to the competitiveness of the conference, Tufts will most likely need to run the gauntlet and go undefeated in the NESCAC in order to earn the right to host the postseason tournament at Cousens Gym in November. While the seniors were happy with their send-off Wednesday night, they plan to ensure that Wednesday's win will not be the last home victory of their Tufts careers. "We're so ready for NESCAC games to be coming up," Feiger said. "We'll be back. We're confident in that. This is not my last home game."
Coming off of its best offensive performance of the season, the Tufts women's soccer team seemed primed to start off a four-game home stand with a victory over a reeling Brandeis team. But instead, the Jumbos walked off Kraft field yesterday with a frustrating 2-0 loss. Brandeis came in on the heels of two straight one-goal losses, and had not beaten Tufts since 2004. The team's recent ineptitude dropped the Judges from No. 7 in the New England Regional Rankings to No. 9, allowing Tufts to assume its old spot at seventh. But the Jumbos, who split their two previous non-conference matchups this season, were unable to justify the rankings. "We all came out of the game feeling like we could have, should have won," sophomore Laney Siegner said. "But sometimes it doesn't work out. We just need to reevaluate." Though the Jumbos' offense looked lively early on, Brandeis struck the first blow in the 25th minute. Junior forward Tiffany Pacheco and sophomore midfielder Mimi Theodore, the Judges' two leading scorers, combined to push through what would stand as the winning goal. Pacheco sent a long shot from the right side that Tufts senior goalkeeper Kate Minnehan batted away directly to the waiting feet of Theodore, who rocketed it into the back of the net. Tufts had its fair share of opportunities to equalize the game in both halves. With just over six minutes remaining in the first half, sophomore Alix Michael dribbled through the Brandeis defense and found classmate Jamie Love-Nichols, whose shot hit the left post. It was not the only chance at the end of the half for Tufts, as Brandeis' senior goalkeeper Hilary Rosenzweig made a stop on junior Bailey Morgan's low shot in the final minute. "Hitting the post is a frustrating part of the game," Michael said. "Instead of getting down, we just tried to keep pushing through. That is an aspect of the game you just have to learn to deal with." The Jumbos threatened to knot the game once more in the 57th minute when junior defender Sarah Nolet drilled a shot from outside the box at the Judges' net. But the pipes denied Tufts once again as the blast ricocheted off the crossbar In all, Tufts managed just four second-half shots in its bid to tie the game. "I don't think the shots were a very good indication of the flow of the game," Michael said. "We definitely had more opportunities than the shots would indicate. Their defense hunkered down and we couldn't get it in the back of the net. Sometimes it just doesn't happen." "Obviously we got a little unlucky hitting the post and the crossbar, but that's soccer. Sometimes the best team doesn't always win, and that has been happening to us lately," Siegner added. Brandeis put the game away with five minutes remaining, again in large part thanks to Theodore. The second-year helped orchestrate a run through the Tufts defense and found junior Sofia Vallone, whose shot from the 18-yard mark found the lower left corner of the Tufts net, pushing the final margin to 2-0. The loss dropped the Jumbos back to .500 ahead of what very well could be the biggest stretch of the squad's season. Tufts will play three NESCAC games in a span of seven days beginning with tomorrow's homecoming clash against Colby. With all three contests at home, the Jumbos know that this is the time to solidify a spot in the top of the NESCAC standings, in which they currently rank fourth. "Basically at practice [yesterday] no one was thinking about [Wednesday's game]," Siegner said. "Everyone was looking to Saturday ... This is our chance to make a statement and win three games in a row — which we have not done this season — and solidify our place in the NESCAC."
Sometimes a game can turn on a dime. In the Tufts men's soccer team's Wednesday match against the non-conference Plymouth St. Panthers, reversal took only fifteen minutes. Though the 1-5-2 Jumbos held a first-half lead, their one-goal edge quickly dissolved in the final fifteen minutes of second-half play and the Jumbos fell 2-1. With the loss to the 7-4-0 Panthers, the Tufts squad moves to 1-2-1 against non-conference opponents. A combination of Panthers penalty shot opportunities and a breakdown on defense spelled disaster for the Jumbos' halftime lead. With 12:24 to play, Panther senior forward Semir Mehmedovic found the back of the net to tie the game 1-1 on the first in a set of two penalty kicks. The kicks were awarded after a Tufts defender was called for pulling Mehmedovic down during his offensive drive. With just over 3 minutes remaining, a rare slip-up by Tufts' defense set up the second penalty kick, which Mehmedovic capitalized on once again. Mehmedovic is three-for-three on penalty kicks this season and leads the Little East Conference in scoring with eleven goals. "It was one of our best-played games," senior tri-captain Bear Duker said. "Our defense played very well all game and our one breakdown unfortunately led to a penalty kick. We've been unlucky; one or two mistakes and we get punished." It was an unfortunate end to a game that Tufts controlled throughout much of the first half, maintaining almost exclusive possession of the ball through the first twenty minutes of play. At 26:39 the Jumbos' offensive pressure proved successful as Duker headed the ball into the right side of the net off a feed by sophomore defenseman Rafael Ramos-Meyer 40 yards outside the box. This goal marked the end of scoring chances for either team in the opening 45 minutes. In the second half, the Panthers picked up their play to match the momentum of the Jumbos. With 25:00 to go, Mehmedovic was denied his first scoring opportunity of the game when Tufts' senior goalkeeper Pat Tonelli made a diving save to deflect a free kick shot over the cross bar. Six minutes later, the Jumbos almost extended their lead as senior forward Dan Schoening took the ball down the left, eluding the Panther defense only to hit the goal post on a crossing shot. The drive displayed both the Jumbos' offensive talent and unfortunate luck. "So far in the season, the ball just hasn't bounced our way," sophomore midfielder Matt Blumenthal said. "Reffing decisions haven't gone our way and with shots hitting the crossbar and posts we haven't been able to find the back of the net as much as we should have. I think with a little luck we could go on a roll because we definitely have the talent." Even with the game tied and time running out, Tufts' offense went on the attack again. Junior forward Alex Lach got a head on the team's fifth and final corner kick with just over seven minutes left. Panthers freshman goalkeeper Bjorn Ohlsson made a diving save to deny the last significant opportunity for Tufts in the game. In all, Ohlsson was forced to make four saves in the match and saw shots on goal from five different Tufts players, a testament to the Jumbos' offensive potential. Overall, the Jumbos finished with two more corner kicks than the Panthers but were out-shot 15 to 11. Tonelli had five saves on the day. "If we buried one or two of our multiple chances they wouldn't have had a chance," said Duker, referring to the team's offensive frustrations. "We've had trouble scoring, but with one little spark that will change." In what could be the light at the end of the tunnel for the struggling Tufts squad, this Saturday's Homecoming match pits the Jumbos against the lowly 0-4-1 Colby Mules, a NESCAC squad that sits at the bottom of the conference standings. If that's not enough, the possibility of a NESCAC postseason is dependent on a decisive win. With the top eight teams qualifying and Tufts locked in eighth with Bates, which the team tied this past Saturday, the Jumbos must prove their strength over the ninth-place Mules. However, the match is not a sure win. Colby ranks above Tufts in conference standings on overall goals and goals per game, and sits second only to Williams in shots for the season — a stat in which Tufts ranks lowest in the NESCAC. In order to win, Tufts will have to avoide slip-ups like off-sides and yellow cards, two categories in which they lead the conference. Still, the Jumbos are confident about tomorrow's showdown. "We have the skills," Blumenthal says. "And it being our Homecoming in front of our fans, us wanting it more and knowing how big a game it is will give us the edge."
When the Tufts women's soccer team meets Colby for its matchup on Kraft Field Saturday, there will be plenty on the line. The Jumbos hope to maintain their string of recent successes against the Mules in addition to continuing a Homecoming winning streak that goes back to 2004. Most importantly, however, the Jumbos have an opportunity to solidify their spot in the top half of the NESCAC standings.
Coming off of a momentous 9-0 shutout over the Wellesley Blue on Tuesday, the field hockey team now has its crosshairs set on the NESCAC's Colby Mules. Tufts is looking not only to preserve its undefeated record, but to hopefully record its second consecutive Homecoming victory.
Tufts' football team picked up its first win of the season at Bates on Saturday, riding a stifling defense to a 15-7 victory. While the victory was a good starting point for the 1-1 Jumbos, a tough test awaits them in their first home game, as the Bowdoin Polar Bears come to town looking to get back in the win column after a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Amherst.
Heading into Tuesday's road match against the Wellesley Blue, the women's field hockey team had gone 753 days without dropping a regular season away game. With a sweeping 9-0 non-conference drubbing, the 8-0 Jumbos made it 754.
Looking back (October 6) | Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers One hundred sixty-two games wasn't enough to settle the score between the Twins and the Tigers for the AL Central Championship, so they needed a 163rd. And it turned out to be an instant classic.
In the world of international soccer, few countries command as much prestige as Argentina, the winner of two World Cups in 1978 and 1986. But as the qualifying rounds for next year's World Cup begin, Argentina is struggling to earn a spot in soccer's most prestigious event.
The men's soccer team has endured a rough start to the season so far, but the Jumbos hope that the energy of Homecoming will help them turn things around.
"I was definitely frustrated that I couldn't put a good set together and was really bummed the last couple races of the day where I could not read the current because it was going across the course in some places and then upwind in other places," he added.
When it comes to Major League Baseball's postseason, several crucial factors that differ from the regular season can make or break a team's World Series hopes.
According to Trinity football coach Jeff Devanney, "an onside kick is a little bit of execution and a little bit of luck."
This time last year, the New York Yankees were missing out on October baseball for the first time since Derek Jeter was a teenager. But it sure didn't take Joe Girardi's squad too long to turn things around.
