The water polo team may be experiencing a bit of deja vu, but no one is complaining.
Like last year, the Jumbos followed up a 4-0 start with four more victories at their second and final regular-season tournament to remain undefeated. This year, the wins came at Colby and put Tufts in sole possession of first place in the North Atlantic Division.
The Jumbos capped off the weekend with their closest game of the tournament, a 14-12 win over the host Mules, who were 3-1 heading into the weekend. Senior tri-captain Pete Georgakakos led the team in scoring with six goals, bringing his weekend total to a team-high 26. The Jumbos shut down Colby's main scoring threat, allowing them to focus on moving the ball and creating their own offensive opportunities.
"If you look at the score spread, our leading scorers still had the most goals, but you could tell they were giving a lot more passes before looking to shoot," senior tri-captain Ben Mitchell said. "It's a lot more fun for the team -- I know I had more fun at this tournament. It's just really easy when you have such good players not being selfish. When you're passing the ball around, it's really easy to get goals."
Tufts' hole sets were particularly effective, with Mitchell and freshman Benji Koltai each chipping in with three goals and one assist. Koltai also managed a steal, one of seven for the Jumbos in the game. Koltai's solid performance was especially valuable this weekend, as a number of key players were unable to make the tournament.
"This tournament, [Koltai] stepped up and started for one of the guys who was missing," Georgakakos said. "He filled that role, and we didn't miss a beat. He meshed really well with all of us -- he's been a great addition."
The win cemented the Jumbos' first-place ranking, one they occupied alone after previously undefeated Coast Guard was upset on Saturday. Tufts faced Coast Guard on Sunday, handing the Bears their second straight loss by a score of 12-6. But the battle was hard fought -- the Jumbos were understandably expecting a physical game.
"They've never beaten us, and the more times we beat them, the more frustrated they get and the harder they come out the next time," Georgakakos said. "I got punched in the face in broad daylight twice in front of the ref -- it was just a brutal game."
Senior James Longhurst, new to the goalie position this year, was on top of his game, making 12 saves for the Jumbos.
"He played really well this weekend," Mitchell said. "In the Coast Guard game, he blocked 12 shots and only six went in -- that's phenomenal for a new goalie. Coast Guard makes great shots ... they're always high corner shots, and he was getting up there. I think the experience [last tournament] really helped."
Once again, Tufts capitalized on steal opportunities, recording 10 during the game.
"Our greatest strength is that we press really hard on defense, and we can force teams to make stupid errors," Mitchell said. "We always get the most steals out of any team in a game, and I think that definitely is why we win our games."
The Jumbo offense was on display Saturday against the University of Vermont, the division's weakest team. Tufts blew Vermont out 23-7, with Koltai leading the way with six goals. A flurry of Jumbo scoring early on allowed Tufts' bench players to get into the game and take control; 10 players scored in the game, with six notching assists.
Tufts was happy with its dominant defensive performance against a weaker opponent, as last week's games yielded much smaller margins of victory.
"We don't really play that many games, so we like to keep our defense up," Mitchell said. "When you think a team is going to be kind of a pushover, you tend to play kind of lax on defense, and that's when they get these obscure long shots that shouldn't go in. The defense keeping the practice of pressing even though the players aren't great and not letting them counter on us to get free breakaways ... I think that's really what we did well this weekend that we didn't do as well last weekend."
The Jumbos also showcased stronger play against Amherst, a team they faced for the second time this season in their first game on Saturday. Tufts nearly doubled Amherst's offensive output with a score of 15-8, compared with a 12-8 score at Bates two weeks ago.
"We pretty much obliterated them throughout the game," Georgakakos said. "They were making a lot of mistakes, and we just capitalized on them. Everyone played exactly how they should, and everyone filled the role they were supposed to have ... The other team never really got a chance."
Next, the Jumbos will put their perfect record on the line at the North Atlantic Conference Championships at Trinity on Oct. 18-19.
