The Tufts men’s and women’s rowing teams had an impressive start to their season at the Head of the Riverfront this past weekend, with several boats placing in the top 15 of their respective events.
Last summer, NBA players said they were done playing America’s games. Fed up with national apathy with the senseless killing of Black Americans by law enforcement, the Milwaukee Bucks put their foot down and on Aug. 26, they boycotted their playoff game, changing how America’s elite athletes used their superstar platform. The game no longer just spoke for itself; the players had a loud voice too.
Tufts men’s soccer was victorious this weekend over both Bates on Saturday and Hamilton on Sunday. With two wins over NESCAC schools, the Jumbos have improved on their undefeated record of 8–0–1 on the season.
Tufts volleyball earned mixed results this past weekend, wrapping up a week of play with a win and two losses. Last Wednesday night, Tufts lost to Endicott College (23–25, 22–25, 25–19, 25–21, 16–18). On Friday, Tufts defeated Hamilton (25–18, 25–16, 25–19). Finally, to finish the road trip, the Jumbos lost at Williams (20–25, 23–25, 25–17, 25–22, 11–15). These three games brought the Jumbos’ record to 9–4 on the season and 3–2 in NESCAC play. This weekend also marked the team’s first overnight away trip of the season, giving them a chance to build on team chemistry.
Will this Patriots team ever stop giving me aneurysms? Coming off the heels of the biggest offseason for the New England Patriots in recent history, this football team seemed destined to improve. Even after the surprise release of Cam Newton to open up the QB1 position for rookie Mac Jones, many Patriots fans did not doubt the fact that this team was a playoff team on paper.
Tufts football fell to Amherst 24–21 in a close match on Saturday at Amherst’s Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium. This loss brought the Jumbos’ record to 0–3 with six games remaining in the season.
On Sunday, Aug. 29, high school football powerhouse IMG Academy defeated Bishop Sycamore High School 58–0. This was not an ordinary game. After their defeat, investigations into Bishop Sycamore began to bring its predatory practices to light.
Tufts field hockey traveled to nearby Babson College for its first away game of the season on Tuesday. This non-conference matchup featured two top-20 opponents: TheJumbos were ranked No. 3 and the Beavers No. 13 nationally. The Jumbos entered the match undefeated with a 4–0 record and the Beavers 6–1, with their only loss against Middlebury College. However, after 68 minutes of play, the Jumbos ultimately fell to the Beavers 1–0 in overtime.
Tufts women's soccer braved the rain on Tuesday night for an under-the-lights game against Wesleyan, which ultimately resulted in the Jumbos’ first NESCAC loss of the season. Both the Jumbos and the Cardinals had been undefeated in the league going into the game, generating a highly anticipated and hard-fought game for both teams. While Tufts was able to tie it up 1–1 in the 23rd minute, the team ceded to Wesleyan with a final score of 3–1. The Jumbos dropped to 4–2 on the season and 2–1 in NESCAC play.
There’s something I need to get off my chest. Players’ transfer fees should not be used to assess the quality of a soccer player in modern soccer. Here’s why.
Tufts football welcomed fans back to Ellis Oval for the first time on their new turf field on Saturday where they hosted the Williams College Ephs. The new synthetic turf field was recently installed as part of a $2.7 million renovation project. After a tightly fought battle, the Jumbos ultimately fell to the Ephs 32–29 in overtime, bringing their record to 0–2 on the season.
Tufts men’s golf placed fourth out of 16 teams after one round in the Bowdoin Invitational this past weekend. The Jumbos faced eight NESCAC opponents, giving them a good baseline for what to expect from conference competition in the spring. Trinity’s (294) top four scores placed them in first for the weekend, followed by Husson (297), Middlebury (299) and then Tufts (303) in the fourth spot. Due to bad weather, the second day of the tournament was canceled. So far for its fall season, the squad has golfed in three invitationals, placing seventh of 22, first of four and fifth of 18, respectively. Junior Kemp Bassett said the season has already shown great promise.
It's stretches like these that make me contemplate why I cheer for the Red Sox. In the most important part of the season, the Red Sox have failed to play disciplined baseball; there is no passion, no effort and no emotion on this baseball team. This weekend's series against the New York Yankees underscored the Red Sox's season: uninspiring. With their most recent loss to the last-place Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox perilously hold the second-place wild card spot in the American League, with the spunky Seattle Mariners and dangerous Toronto Blue Jays nipping at their heels.
Coming off of a five set match where Wesleyan handed Tufts volleyball its first defeat of the season, the Jumbos had a few days to sharpen their skills in preparation for three consecutive road games. Tufts fell to Springfield College 3–1 last Thursday before defeating Bowdoin 3–1 and Maine Maritime Academy 3–0 in Brunswick on Saturday. These three games brought the Jumbos to 8–2 on the season and 2–1 in NESCAC play.
Let me make one thing clear: Rookie quarterbacks are not treated fairly in the world of sports criticism.
Tufts men’s soccer faced its first double overtime of the season, ending the 110 minutes of play in a 1–1 draw at Colby on Saturday, moving the Jumbos’ record to 5–0–1 on the season. A strong defensive game from both teams, Tufts fought back from a Colby goal late in the first half to tie it with four minutes left in regulation. However, neither team was able to find the back of the net throughout both periods of overtime.
After a breakout 2019 season, where Tufts University women’s Soccer danced to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet Sixteen, the Jumbos began their 2021 season with NESCAC title hopes, and their performances so far have rarely disappointed.
Sports fans, by definition, are hopeless and idealistic reactionaries. We sit glued to our seats, trying to extrapolate the bigger picture of the individual decisions, games and players that we watch.
Returning to competition for the first time since 2019, Tufts field hockey kicked off its season against conference foe Williams at Ounjian Field on Sept. 11. The Jumbos entered the match ranked fourth in the nation, while the Williams Ephs ranked 10th in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's preseason poll. Now four games into the 2021 season, the Jumbos boast a perfect record of 4–0, outscoring their opponents with an impressive 18–1.
This week, the men’s soccer team stayed hot, defeating Brandeis University and Salem State University. Tufts showcased an offensive outburst on Saturday, netting four goals and blanking Brandeis. The Jumbos followed up this performance by putting in five more goals on Tuesday night en route to a 5–1 victory over the Salem State Vikings.
