Offense wins games, defense wins championships. This is one team sports adage that the Jumbos hope rings true in the 2000-01 hockey season.
"We have two above-average scoring lines," senior tri-captain Natan Obed said. "Our veteran defense will be strong, and [defense] is the key for success."
A year ago, this was certainly the case, as Tufts used its defensive prowess to compensate for a somewhat weaker offense. But this time around, with an even stronger defense and an improved offensive attack, coach Brain Murphy believes his team has the ingredients necessary to win the ECAC Northeast after finishing third overall last season.
"We expect to do better this year," Murphy said. "We are a lot better defensively at this point in the season than we were last year. Last year we only scored 99 goals, which isn't very many. We won with the defense, and we will score even more this year."
A primary element in the Jumbos' defensive success last season was their impressive penalty killing. Tufts surrendered just 20 goals in 115 short-handed situations, good for a .826 penalty killing percentage, and ranking them 21st in all of Division III.
The defensive unit itself consists of six returnees and two freshmen, with the line assignments yet to be officially determined. Senior tri-captain Dan Mahoney, senior Justin Picone, and junior Chad Pessini are the veterans, while junior Rob Green and sophomores Dan Reinhard and Chris Martin will be looked upon to take on bigger roles this year. Their two counterparts on the blue line remain undecided.
"On defense any of those guys can play at this level," Murphy said. "It will depend on who's healthy and who's playing well."
Leading the charge will be Mahoney, a 6'0" 190-lb force who was named to both the All-ECAC and All-New England Northeast All-Star teams as a junior. He ended up sixth overall on the team scoring list, with five goals and 14 assists for 19 points, and to date has tallied 43 career points. He was the only non-senior to be on the Northeast All-Star team last year.
"We expect him to be one of the best in the league," Murphy said.
Supporting Mahoney will be Picone and Pessini, and both logged significant ice time during the 1999-2000 campaign. Picone is a 5'9" 180-lb bruiser known for his checking ability. Nonetheless, he still managed to rack up seven points (two goals and five assists) last year. Pessini, on the other hand, is a bit more offensive minded. He showcased his playmaking skills last winter, and was credited with 12 assists.
"I think we have a solid defensive core," Mahoney said. "A couple of [sophomores] have matured since last year."
One of those sophomores is Martin, who saw some minutes as a freshman, appearing in 21 of the team's 24 games and collecting three points (one goal, two assists). At 6'1" and 180 lbs., Martin represents another large defensive presence, as does his classmate Reinhard, who is listed at 6'0" and 195 lbs. Reinhard played in all 24 games but did not register a point. Junior Rob Greene will also be on the ice more this season after getting the call in five contests last year.
So with a dominating defense at their back once again, the Jumbos will drop the puck and open the season against Suffolk University at Harvard this Sunday at 2 p.m.
