Though the ice hockey team may be over the hill, having clinched the No. 7 seed in the NESCAC playoffs, the Jumbos are definitely not yet through the woods. Before it heads to the conference tournament, Tufts will have to close out its regular season with back-to-back home games this weekend, starting with Saint Michael's College tonight and followed by Norwich tomorrow afternoon.
With road wins over the University of New England and the University of Southern Maine last weekend, Tufts improved its record to 11-8-3 overall (7-7-3 NESCAC/ECAC East), matching its win total from last season. With one more win this weekend, the Jumbos will be guaranteed their first winning season since 2000-01. But win or lose, every NESCAC team has the same record to begin the postseason.
"After this weekend -- in the playoffs -- it's a whole new season, where one loss could end your whole season," sophomore goaltender Scott Barchard said.
Tonight's opponents, the Saint Michael's Purple Knights, have posted a lowly 5-14-3 record this season, including losses to Southern Maine and Babson, both of which the Jumbos defeated earlier this year.
Tufts carries an edge over the Purple Knights in multiple categories, not the least of which is goaltending. Whereas neither Saint Michael's goaltender has a save percentage over .900, Barchard's .941 success rate is tied for the best among all Div.-III goaltenders in the nation.
Tufts' special teams unit has also proven itself superior this season. With an 87.3 percent penalty kill success rate, the Jumbos have been excellent at keeping their opponents off board on power-play opportunities, and Saint Michael's 23.4 power-play percentage is not likely to change that.
The Jumbos, finally, have enjoyed success playing at home, as evidenced by their 4-3-3 record at the Valley Forum. Having all these factors in their favor, as well as the momentum of a 3-1-2 record in their last six games, the Jumbos expect to rack up win number 12 tonight.
"Right now, Saint Michael's is our next opponent, and we're just focused on getting another win [tonight]," Barchard said.
Tomorrow's faceoff with the Norwich Cadets, though, should not prove so easy. Owners of an 18-1-4 (14-1-2) record, the Cadets are the No. 1 team in the ECAC East and the No. 2 Div. III team in the nation. Their performance against such a formidable foe will provide a litmus test for the Jumbos as they approach the playoffs.
"Top to bottom, they're a very good team," Barchard said. "As long as we play our game, though, we can have a chance against them. We need to just focus on ourselves and what we can do."
Despite the impressive statistics that Norwich has compiled, Tufts is far from overmatched. Against Williams, which handed Norwich its only loss of the season 2-1 on Feb. 6, Tufts performed admirably, falling by a 2-0 margin in the second game of the season. Based on that measuring stick alone, the two squads could be evenly matched if Tufts plays to its potential.
As far as goaltending is concerned, Norwich's senior goalie Ryan Klingensmith owns the most shutouts (six) and the top goals against average (1.38) of any Div. III goalie in the nation. But his .927 save percentage ranks only eighth behind Barchard. Unfortunately for Tufts, Norwich has outshot its opponents 829-440 on the year, so Tufts will rely on Barchard's performance.
Tufts will look largely to juniors Zach Diaco and Tom Derosa for offensive output, as the two lead the squad with 14 and 10 goals respectively. Meanwhile, junior tri-captain Dylan Cooper and freshman defenseman Trevor John, third and fourth on the team in goals, will have to shine if the Jumbos are to overcome the Cadets.
Norwich poses multiple threats in the offensive zone, carrying three 10-plus goal scorers. As such, Tufts' defense will be tested to its limits when it tries to shut down this high-powered Norwich offense that has outscored its opponents by an average 3.4 goals per game.
"Every game is important," Barchard said. "[This weekend] is just another stepping stone for this team to come together … so that afterward, we are playing our best in the playoffs."
In both its games last weekend, Tufts overcame initial deficits to eventually claim the victory. Though that may have worked against squads like New England and Southern Maine, the Jumbos cannot afford to fall far behind against stiff competition tonight and tomorrow -- or in the playoffs -- if they hope to keep up their winning ways.
