Sports

Sports

Softball’s journey to the NESCAC Championship

By Isaac Karp | May 7

From a canceled season in 2020 to a condensed schedule in 2021, to qualifying for the NESCAC Championship, Tufts softball has endured and finally become the zenith of NESCAC sports. On May 9, Tufts will play Williams College for the NESCAC title. Williams held an undefeated 12–0 record during the regular season, while Tufts ended at 15–3 with losses to Middlebury, Bowdoin and Brandeis. 

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Sports

Baseball advances to NESCAC Championship

By Jack Adgate | May 6

Despite a season shortened by a pandemic and games canceled due to weather, the Tufts baseball team has made the most of the opportunities it has been given. The team finished the regular season with a 10–3 overall record.  

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Sports

Senior Profile: Briggs leads through energy and competitive nature

By Ananda Kao | May 6

Graduating senior co-captain and guard/forward Emily Briggs made an immediate impact on the Tufts women’s basketball team her first year when she was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. Briggs was the team’s first Rookie of the Year in 10 years, awarded after being part of the team that went 26–5 on the season.

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Sports

Women's lacrosse wins first NESCAC Championship in program history

By Alex Sharp | May 5

The Tufts University women’s lacrosse team won its first NESCAC Championship with a dominant 14–3 victory over Wesleyan this past weekend. With the win, the Jumbos earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III tournament. They will begin NCAA tournament play on Sunday, May 9, against Cabrini University at Colby. The scheduled start time is 2:30 p.m.

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Sports

Senior Profile: Niko Hereford looks back on moments and mentors

By Steven Landry | May 5

Students in the Class of 2021 may find it hard to believe it’s been four years since they arrived in Medford, anxious and exhilarated for what life would look like at Tufts. For graduating senior tennis player Niko Hereford, mentorship on and off the court helped him come into his own as a leader. 

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Columns

Wonder Women, Tufts edition: Catherine Lawliss

By Nicole Setow | May 5

Imagine a long stretch of sand basking under a bright sun, with picturesque lighthouses dotting the distance. Whether she’s reading a book on the beach or wading in the water, Tufts graduating senior lacrosse attacker Catherine Lawliss has her happy place in Nantucket, Mass. Perhaps this is where we’ll find Lawliss this summer after she and her senior teammates lead the women’s lacrosse team to what will hopefully be another deep NCAA tournament run.

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Softball

Softball clinches NESCAC Championship bid with wins over Wesleyan, Bates

By Isaac Karp | April 28

Tufts softball has clinched its trip to the NESCAC Championship with a four-game sweep over Bates and Wesleyan to improve to 12–2 on the season.

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Sports

Men's tennis beat Bates, fall to Brandeis

By Tim Chiang | April 28

The No. 18 Tufts Jumbos earned their third straight conference win with an 8–1 victory over Bates on Saturday. In a heated matchup between two nationally-ranked top 20 teams, Tufts took its first loss of the season against No. 8 Brandeis 6–3 on Sunday. 

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Sports

Division what? Tufts lacrosse teams clean up NH woods

By Alex Sharp | April 26

For the Jumbos, the unusual Div. I-vs.-Div. III matchup served as a silver lining in the midst of their bizarre shortened season. The team enjoyed Dartmouth’s facilities, the field and some high quality trash cans that have a special slot for pizza boxes. 

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Sports

Men's track first-years dominate in meet against NESCAC rivals

By Arnav Sacheti | April 23

After nearly two years, the men’s track and field team returned to Ellis Oval at Tufts on Sunday, competing against Wesleyan, Conn. College and Trinity. Tufts scored 239.5 points, which was more than 100 points better than Trinity, which placed second. A large portion of this high score came from multiple individual winning performances, including several from first-year students.

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Sports

Baseball takes 3 more from Colby in weekend series

By Jack Adgate | April 22

Tufts took the series victory in game four with a barrage of offense, winning 17–0. Not to be overlooked by the offensive performance, Junior right-hander Brendan McFall gave the Jumbos six strong innings on the mound. McFall scattered three hits and gave up no earned runs in his first start of the season. Sophomore Gavin Brown struck out three batters in the seventh to seal the deal on the mound for Tufts.

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Columns

In the Paint: Defending the NBA play-in tournament

By Jenny Lu | April 22

I'm not sure where I stand on the play-in tournament's use during this unconventional season, but I think the format is a step in the right direction. The NBA has long been criticized for how predictable it is. There are superstar players and overloaded teams, making the playoffs rather cut and dry. Critics compare the professional league to college basketball and March Madness, citing college-level play as more exciting due to there being more upsets.

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Sports

Conquest in Connecticut as men's lacrosse picks up wins against Conn., Wesleyan

By Isabel Castro | April 21

The Jumbos, who were recently ranked by the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association as the No. 3 Div. III team in the country, continued to flex their offensive power a week after setting the school record for goals scored in a game. The Jumbos' set another team record with their combined 51 goals scored over the weekend, breaking the previous record of 39, which was set during the NESCAC championship weekend in 2014.

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Sports

Tufts softball stays resilient through nail-biters and blowouts

By Isaac Karp | April 21

Sitting atop the East Division with an 8–2 overall record and 5–1 mark in conference play, the Jumbos seem sure to make the NESCAC championship, but not without some obstacles along the way. In terms of their strength of schedule, the teams Tufts has beaten have a combined winning percentage of around .455 in the NESCAC, while Bowdoin — who split wins with Tufts in their matchup this weekend — is the only opponent with a winning percentage for conference play of at least .500.

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Sports

Off the Gridiron: Answering the biggest questions of the NFL Draft

By Henry Gorelik | April 21

With the No. 4 pick, the Atlanta Falcons could draft their next franchise quarterback, select "unicorn" Kyle Pitts or trade down to accumulate assets. Yes, there are clear benefits with each option, but I believe being in the position to select a franchise quarterback is too great of an opportunity to pass up. Additionally, 35-year-old Matt Ryan would be the perfect mentor and bridge to either Fields or Lance.

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Sports

Top teams announce formation of new European Super League

By David Cooperman | April 20

Many around the soccer world raged about the decision, thought to bring an end to the sport as it is known and loved by millions. On April 19, Aleksander Ceferin, president of the Union of European Football Associations, said that any players who were involved in the Super League breakaway would be banned from playing in the World Cup and European championships. Additionally, UEFA executive Jesper Moller announced that he expected the three remaining Champions League teams involved (Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid) to be removed from the UEFA Champions League semifinals. 

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Sports

Men's Tennis conquers Colby in season debut

By Tim Chiang | April 16

The No. 18 Tufts Jumbos opened their long-awaited return to competition with a 6–3 win over the No. 37 Colby Mules. Colby suffered their first loss of the season and fell to 2–1 (1–1 NESCAC). Senior co-captain Boris Sorkin and sophomore Josh Belandres, the No. 7 doubles team in the country, tallied the first win for the Jumbos by defeating Jan Wenger and Joey Barrett at No. 1 doubles, 8–5.

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Soccer

Highlights from the UEFA quarterfinals

By Aman Chokshi | April 16

The last two weeks witnessed the quarterfinals of the Union of European Football Associations Champions League, the biggest competition in club soccer. Eight teams remained in this elite tournament, with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City gunning for the prize.

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Columns

The Fast Break: Injuries to consider for the playoffs

By Aiden Herrod | April 16

Like it or not, injuries play a major role in the power balance of the NBA. The super teams of the league know this well. The Lakers and Nets have kept their superstars off the court more often than on it, nursing their injuries to ensure full health by the playoffs. In this COVID-compressed season, injuries have been even more impactful than usual as players take on more games with less rest, a combo that can often lead to devastating outcomes. With that in mind, I’ve highlighted a few of the most impactful recent injury situations to watch as we gear up for the NBA playoffs.

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Sports

Baseball opens season with series win over Colby

By Jack Adgate | April 15

The Tufts baseball team won three out of four games this weekend against Colby, winning two at home on Saturday and one on the road on Sunday. The Jumbos took the first game with a strong start from junior right-hander Michael Volgende. The Connecticut native surrendered only two hits in six innings of work, striking out eight and walking only one. 

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