If there were any questions about freshman D.J. Hessler's ability to replace all-NESCAC attackman Mark Warner, they were answered in the team's 13-12 double-overtime victory over the Eastern Connecticut State Warriors yesterday afternoon.
After posting four goals and two assists in his first collegiate affair against Skidmore on Saturday, Hessler followed up with another stellar performance on Bello Field with three goals and two assists, including the game winner in the second overtime. The performance helped nationally-ranked No. 9 Tufts avoid an upset in its second game of the season and improved the team's record to 2-0.
"D.J. has done a great job of taking advantage of the opportunities given to him by the opponents we've played and he is learning fast," coach Mike Daly said. "He's a smart, talented player, and we're excited that we have him."
Hessler's early success has earned him the respect of his teammates, which is essential when the game is on the line.
"D.J. has been playing really well for us," junior quad-captain Jordan Yarboro said. "It's especially exciting because it's rare for a freshman to make an immediate impact like he has so far this year. He's been working real well in our system and he's done everything we've asked of him. He's got great vision out there and it shows in his production."
Entering the fourth quarter, the Jumbos found themselves trailing by an 11-6 margin. After a spirited discussion on the sideline between quarters, the team buckled down and took control of the momentum by winning five of eight faceoffs and communicating better on defense.
"The midfield stepped it up in the second half and started to get a lot more ground balls," Yarboro said. "[Freshman Brett Olson and sophomore Mike Droesch] started winning the faceoffs, and we were able to control the ball more. That helped out the defense a lot. It gave us a bit of a breather and allowed us to play better team defense."
It also paid huge dividends on the offensive end, as the team was able to control the ball and have more opportunities to score. Sophomore attackman Patrick Devine ignited the rally with a quick score just 33 seconds into the quarter. In the next four minutes, Devine added two more goals on both sides of a Hessler tally to make it 11-10 in favor of the Warriors with 10:14 left in regulation.
After the Jumbos failed to capitalize any further on the shift in momentum, Warrior attackman Matt Savage put a halt to the rally with a score with 7:00 left in the game. Sophomore midfielder Doug DiSesa responded quickly, however, with a laser left-handed shot to bring the Jumbos back within one at 12-11. Senior quad-captain Brett Holm capped off the rally with a great dodge and score to make it 12-12 with 4:36 left in the game, which proved to be the final goal in regulation.
The two teams clawed their way through the first overtime with high-paced offense and desperate defense, but neither was able to put a shot past either team's goalie. Hessler finished off the improbable comeback by grabbing a loose ball out of a scramble in front the Warriors' net and put the game winner past Warrior junior goalie Kyle Savage with 1:56 left in the second overtime.
The outcome wasn't always certain for the Jumbos, as they found themselves down 7-4 at halftime and dug themselves even deeper by giving up four more goals in the third quarter. Despite dominating groundballs 30-23 and shots 35-27 in the first three quarters, Tufts' lack of communication and focus on individual performance rather than working together as a team led to a five-goal deficit.
"I think we just came out flat as a team in the first half," Hessler said. "In the beginning, we were playing like individuals. Once we started riding hard, then the possessions started to go our way and the goals did as well."
"I thought we weren't playing as a team early in the game," Daly added. "There was too much focus on the individual aspects. That led to a lot of opportunities for them early on the offensive end of the field."
On the defensive end of the field, the team struggled to work together and bring the same level of intensity that they brought to the Skidmore College game on Saturday.
"We weren't communicating enough on defense in the first half, and we were breaking down on defense," Yarboro said. "We didn't come out with enough intensity. They were hungrier than us early on."
With only one day of practice to prepare for a team that they had handled easily over the past few years, and coming off of a convincing effort on Saturday against Skidmore, there was worry that the Jumbos might take the Warriors lightly on Tuesday. While their early efforts confirmed those worries, the team responded well enough late in the game to prevent the Warriors from dashing their early-season hopes of going undefeated.
"I think that was definitely a part of it," Daly said. "It would've been a sin if we had lost this one today. I'm glad we got the win, but it would've been awful if we had lost, and it would've been a reflection on the coaching staff. We definitely still have a lot to work on."
The Jumbos now look forward to the Williams College Ephs (0-1), who are coming to Bello Field on Saturday. Despite yesterday's close contest against an Eastern Connecticut squad that the Jumbos were supposed to beat according to the national rankings, the team's goals for the rest of the season remain lofty.
"We play Eastern Connecticut because we have a lot of respect for them as tough competitors," Daly said. "Those are the types of teams that we want to be playing. It will pay dividends as we move into the start of the league schedule this weekend [against Williams]."
"As long we keep playing as a team, we will continue to improve and we can do whatever we want this year," Hessler added. "We have a lot of potential and it's all a matter of working together as a team. Even though this wasn't a pretty win, it still counts. It's a big stepping stone for us and we need games like these sometimes to remain humble."
