Sports

Sports

Reigning champions make no excuses after lost season

By Isabel Castro | April 7

The Tufts men's varsity soccer program has swiped four NCAA championship titles in its past six seasons, most recently taking home the crown with a 2–0 victory over Amherst in 2019. The common denominators among these titles have been traditional preseasons, schedules consisting of full-contact competitive play and former head coach Josh Shapiro. In soccer, many coaches say that players should know what they're going to do two plays ahead. A pandemic was never thought to be one of those plays. 

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Columns

Off the Gridiron: Justin Fields is the No. 2 QB

By Henry Gorelik | April 7

NFL Network called it “the throw of the pro day season.” There was one particular throw in Zach Wilson’s pro day that stood out to NFL scouts and Twitter alike. "The throw" had the former Brigham Young quarterback in a sprint right bootleg, rolling toward the left hash and hitting receiver Aleva Hifo in-stride 60 yards downfield, as Wilson was still drifting to his left. But when former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields made a nearly identical throw in his pro day several days after Wilson, the NFL media was silent.

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Softball

Tufts softball returns, excites with doubleheader split at Middlebury

By Isaac Karp | April 6

In 2019, the Jumbos won the NESAC Championship, but after the pandemic denied them a 2020 season, only nine players from that championship team remain. The first game was riddled with errors and batting struggles for both teams, as the offseason rust was palpable.

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Sports

Women's lacrosse wins 17–5 in first game since start of pandemic

By Alex Viveros | April 5

Saturday’s win places the Jumbos at the top of the NESCAC conference, and with the limited season, every game counts. Given the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, the team is grateful to be able to play this season.

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Columns

Keeping up with the 617: Don't count the Celtics out

By Matt Goguen | April 5

With 22 games remaining, the Cs have the potential to go on a massive winning streak and squeak into a top-four playoff seed; they play a banged-up Charlotte Hornets team twice and the scuffling Minnesota Timberwolves twice. With its relatively easy schedule to wrap up the season, Boston can build up some confidence with a handful of winnable games down the stretch.

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Sports

NCAA grants extra year of eligibility, seniors contemplate their futures

By Isabel Castro | April 2

The goal for many playing a sport at the Div. III level is to win a national championship; but at heart, many play for simply the love of the game. Although Tufts offers several masters programs for students looking to extend their stay in Medford, these programs might not have been as tempting for student-athletes prior to the NCAA announcement. 

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Columns

The Fast Break: The visceral beauty of the NBA's play-in tournament

By Aiden Herrod | April 2

The play-in has made playoff basketball more than feasible for a number of teams. Twenty teams will play meaningful, do-or-die basketball in May. It’s the exact wrinkle we needed to counteract the weirdness of a season shortened by COVID-19. It means the number of teams waving the white flag and opting to tank is incredibly small, amounting to only three or so per conference. It will make this final stretch of the season as entertaining, if not more so, than the playoffs themselves.

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Sports

Tufts swim and dive stages intrasquad meet, celebrates senior class

By Sophia Antezana | March 31

This past weekend provided an opportunity for the swimmers to showcase their hard work and put it to the test by competing against one another. The team competed for three days during its typical practice times. Each individual raced in one or two events of their choice. In addition to allowing the team members to compete, the weekend was about celebrating a senior class that has dedicated so much to the program over the past four years. 

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Columns

Long Shot: Isaiah Kacyvenski and his Will Ventures

By Samuel Charlton | March 31

This week's Long Shot column is about Isaiah Kacyvenski, a former NFL linebacker. Kacyvenski played the majority of his career in Seattle, where he captained the Seahawks for three seasons, including their 2006 run to the Super Bowl. Overall, he had a wildly successful NFL career, but the projections for his success weren’t always so first-rate.

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Columns

Olympic Torch: Cross-country running needs a comeback

By Arnav Sacheti | March 30

Cross country is a sport that is grueling, competitive and cerebral. These qualities make it perfect for a fun and interesting broadcast to an international audience. In addition, cross country is one of the few types of running that has a close-knit team aspect to it, since all members of the team are running the same race and competing for team points.

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Sports

Tennis, field hockey, squash players talk return to practice after Tufts' loosening of restrictions

By Brigitte Wilson | March 25

Due to COVID-19 restrictions implemented by the university and the state, the concept of returning to competitive play seemed like a far-off fantasy for many Tufts athletes. Tufts’ early March announcement that spring sports are anticipated to play a shortened, NESCAC-only season beginning in mid-April brought about mixed emotions for many students who were given only a few weeks to prepare. 

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Sports

Dylan Thoerner reflects on first season with Tufts basketball, talks training from home

By Jenny Lu | March 25

Despite early struggles, Thoerner made the most out of his first season. He averaged 7.5 points per game and shot 35.4% from deep and 79.7% from the line, but his stats don’t tell the full story. Thoerner showed up in a big way during important games, including knocking down two clutch last-second free throws to send Tufts into overtime against Colby College in the 2020 NESCAC championship. Tufts went on to win the title 102–94.

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Sports

Highlights from the first weekend of March Madness

By Matt Chen | March 24

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments tipped off this weekend in Indiana and Texas, respectively. While the women’s bracket saw top seeds dominate across the board, the men’s bracket saw some of the biggest upsets in recent history, shredding brackets across the country (including mine). Let’s run down some of the highlights from each tournament.

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Columns

Off the Gridiron: Winners of free agency

By Henry Gorelik | March 24

The Cleveland Browns were a 14-yard run by Chad Henne and a gutsy fourth down call by Andy Reid away from having a shot at playing in the AFC championship game. The Browns are not only back, but their tenacious running game and potent play-action passing have also made them legitimate contenders in the AFC. In order to seriously challenge the Chiefs, Browns general manager Andrew Berry needed to shore up the secondary. 

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Baseball

Senior baseball player Ryan Daues reflects on his career, upcoming season

By Keila McCabe | March 23

Beyond simply practicing and playing, Daues said he is grateful for the opportunity to play for the Tufts baseball team. He said his coaches and fellow teammates created a nurturing culture and have taught him valuable lessons.

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Columns

Power to the Players: Inequities in the NCAA bubbles

By Isaac Karp | March 23

March Madness got off to a rough start last Friday after Sedona Prince, a forward on the University of Oregon's women's basketball team, released a TikTok video that exposed the disparities between the men’s and women’s facilities in the college basketball tournament bubbles. 

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Columns

Keeping up with the 617: 3 biggest moves of Patriots' offseason (so far)

By Matt Goguen | March 22

Three weeks ago if you told me that Bill Belichick would be overly aggressive in this year's NFL free agency period, I would've simply laughed in your face. Belichick's philosophy has long been to sign bargain players and build the New England Patriots from within, but he has taken the complete opposite approach this offseason. As of March 21, Belichick has signed 19 players, many of whom were ranked as top free agents in 2021. Although some of these signings were for depth and familiarity with the Patriots system, Belichick was playing chess with a few of his free agency moves in the past week.

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Sports

Tufts athletic trainers keep Jumbos running

By Steven Landry | March 19

Tufts’ athletic training staff is invaluable to the success and health of all Jumbo sports teams. They help athletes get back on the field, and they connect with the hobbled Jumbos who can’t be practicing with their teammates. With March being National Athletic Training Month, what better time to meet Pat Cordeiro and Emily Young, two women that come to work with the goal of seeing athletes succeed.

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Columns

The Fast Break: The Eastern Conference in 5 years

By Aiden Herrod | March 19

A couple of weeks ago, I looked at what the NBA’s Western Conference could look like five years down the road. This week, I plan to do the same for the East, an admittedly far more difficult task. The talent distribution is more lopsided, and far more teams are in the uncertain phases of long-winded rebuilds. However, there are still plenty of franchises with bright, sustainable futures on the horizon. Let’s take a look at them now.

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Columns

3-Point Play: All-Star Weekend recap

By Matt Chen | March 18

The second half of the 2020–21 NBA season is underway after an eventful All-Star Weekend. This year’s All-Star festivities were condensed into one night in Atlanta, Ga. The NBA pulled off playing without fans in a traditionally fan-focused event, though not without some obstacles. From an action-filled All-Star Game to some memorable performances in the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest, let’s run through some of the highlights from this year’s All-Star break.

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