Since last spring, the ice hockey team has worked tirelessly to improve upon last season's disappointing 6-16-1 finish. The results of their efforts will be on full display this weekend.
Welcoming senior tri-captain goalkeeper Scott Barchard back from injury and eight capable freshmen who are hungry to make their mark on the ice, Tufts will begin its season Friday with a NESCAC showdown at Trinity, before traveling to Wesleyan on Saturday for the second conference game of the Jumbos' opening doubleheader weekend.
The Jumbos struggled through a 12-game losing streak in 2010-11, one that began in early December and lasted exactly two months until they defeated the University of New England on Feb. 11 — their fifth of six wins last season.
After dropping two more decisions and edging out St. Michael's 5-3 on the road along the way, the Jumbos' winless streak and a 5-14 conference record dropped them to 10th place in the NESCAC standings.
The season was further marred by injuries to several of the Jumbos' key playmakers, including then-junior quad-captain Barchard, a netminder who received All-American accolades during his sophomore season.
In a Nov. 27 faceoff with Brockport, Barchard hurt his ankle. In the following weeks, it became clear that Barchard's injury was more serious than thought and would require surgery to heal.
As a result, he missed the rest of the season and was replaced by classmate EvinKoleini, whose solid .887 save percentage was not enough to save the season.
"Any time a player with Scott's abilities and determination is in the lineup, it is a huge benefit," senior tri-captain Matt Amico said.
"Having an experienced goaltender between the pipes also gives us an offensive advantage because we feel confident enough to take a few more risks here and there, which can really break a game open. I also think that his presence has helped improve our overall depth at the goaltending position."
This year, Barchard returns to the ice and looks to cap off his career with a performance reminiscent of the 2009-10 season, during which his 986 saves and .939 save percentage both led the nation.
"It's like having a third defenseman back there," freshman defenseman Blake Edwards said.
"Goalies can win or lose games for you, so when you have someone of his caliber, it's obviously going to give you a better chance right away. We're really confident in his abilities and as long as he stays healthy, we feel like our chances of winning are that much greater, so we're excited to have him back."
Barchard's fellow captains are Amico and junior Nick Metcalfe, both of whom add experience to a young squad. Last year, the duo combined for five assists, and they have a combined career total of 34 points.
Although the Jumbos graduated four of their top five scorers, leading lamp-lighter Kyle Gallegos — who carried Tufts' attack with 15 goals — returns for his sophomore season, and junior Dylan Plimmer will also be a crucial asset to coach Brian Murphy's squad. Plimmer finished sixth on the team with 11 points last season, netting two goals and assisting on nine others.
"The older players do a great job. They're always there, helping out if we have any questions," Edwards said.
"On the ice and off the ice, they're great players and great guys. They work hard in practice so they're really guys that you cannot just listen to, but you can really follow what they do by watching, and they're a good group to have as captains and leaders."
Can the eight newcomers step up?
Murphy's roster also boasts eight freshmen who, under the wings of Gallegos and others, have the potential to impact the Jumbos in a big way.
Edwards, an Ohio native, played junior A hockey for the St. Louis Bandits in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Midwest division. Last season, Edwards played in 57 games, and although he scored just once, he delivered 20 helpers for a total of 21 points. As a setup man, Edwards has the potential to create much-needed scoring opportunities and key stops for Tufts, which was outscored 106-66 last season.
Shawn Power, who began skating at age three and transitioned to defense after years of rotating between that position and forward, will add versatility.
Last season, Power, who played at South Kent School in Connecticut, posted a goal and 17 assists with the AAA Markham Majors.
Salvatore Revetta, who played high school hockey in St. Louis, is the Jumbos' final newcomer to the defensive unit.
At the other end of the rink, forward Tyler Voigt will lead the first-year offensive unit. Last season, Voigt played with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, putting up an impressive 17 goals and 19 assists in 54 NAHL contests.
Voigt will be joined by Andrew White and DerrekSchartz at the attacking end. White, a forward who played at Boston College High School, scored eight goals and six assists last season on his way to receiving Catholic Conference All-Star honors. Schartz, who most recently played for Corpus Christi's NAHL team, finished 15 games with two points for the IceRays.
"I think we have a pretty good class that came in, and we've been told that throughout the preseason, so I think we're going to be relied on more than a regular freshman class would be counted on," Edwards said.
"We have a couple of older guys who have played a lot of hockey and have a lot of experience, so I think they're going to be expected to step in right away and make a difference in all situations of play: in power play, penalty kills and whatnot."
A brutal schedule, a short memory
The Jumbos' upcoming road trip will speak volumes about just how much they have actually improved. Tufts dropped 6-3 and 8-2 decisions to Wesleyan and Trinity, respectively, in the same doubleheader pairing in February.
Trinity outshot Tufts, 40-24, and the Jumbos went 1-for-5 on power plays, while the Bantams scored five times off seven man-up opportunities.
Against Wesleyan, the Jumbos fared slightly better, converting three of seven power plays into goals. The Cardinals also outshot the Jumbos, firing 35 shots at Koleini, while the Jumbos mustered just 22 in their three-goal effort against then-sophomore Matt Hadge.
"The Trinity and Wesleyan games last year were obviously a disappointment," Amico said.
"Going into this weekend, we are making sure that we are prepared to approach each game on a shift-by-shift basis and not get too far ahead of ourselves. I think we have the potential for a very strong season, but the outcome will depend on our ability to do the little things correctly and battle through inevitable spells of adversity."
Another big matchup looms on Dec. 3, when the Jumbos host NESCAC power Middlebury. Last year, the Jumbos' season-opening 3-0 win against the Panthers marked their first victory over Middlebury since the 1955 season.
In late January, Tufts will host Suffolk, a team to whom the Jumbos fell just short in a 4-3 overtime loss. Finally, Tufts will square off with Hamilton and Williams, who topped the NESCAC last year, two times apiece.
The Jumbos' performance this weekend, and in those big games, will indicate whether they can play cohesively and consistently, something they struggled to do for the majority of last season.
"Preparation is always key," Amico said. "In the NESCAC, the level of competition is so high that whichever team shows up best-prepared is going to turn in the better performance.
"Often, the mark of a successful team is a short memory — you have to put the bad games beside you and prepare for the tasks that lie ahead. That's easier said than done, but we have made tremendous strides in the pre-season with regard to our preparation and cohesiveness, both of which were elements that were lacking last season."
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Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that junior Trevor John will be on the team during the upcomming season. In fact, John is not on the team's roster for 2011-2012.
