Despite a season−ending 6−2 loss to Middlebury College in the NESCAC Tournament quarterfinals, the Tufts ice hockey team finished with its best campaign in nine years and a conviction that next year will be even better.
"I think in some ways, [the season] was definitely a success," senior tri−captain David Antonelli said. "I think the best news is that people aren't satisfied."
Fully satisfied or not, the Jumbos' 12 wins in 2009−10 were enough to give them their first winning record since the 2000−01 season, just one of the squad's many accomplishments this year.
Some of the Jumbos' highlights from the season included a thrilling 3−3 tie with Middlebury in their season opener, marking the first point Tufts earned against the Panthers in over two decades. Just when it seemed that the Jumbos were about to surrender their 14th straight loss to Middlebury, freshman Trevor John buried a shot with 57 seconds left in regulation to knot up the score, helping the team start the season on the right foot.
Tufts also captured its first tournament victory since 2000 by beating defending−Div. III National Champion Neumann College and hometown−favorite Castleton State College to win the Rutland Herald Invitational in late November. The Jumbos cruised to two 5−2 victories with contributions from sophomore goaltender Scott Barchard and juniors Zach Diaco, Conor Pieri and Lindsay Walker, who all earned All−Tournament team honors.
This pair of tournament wins came in the midst of the team's season−best, six−game winning streak. Other notable games during this stretch included a 3−2 win over NESCAC foe Conn. College and a 4−3 overtime thriller against Saint Anselm College, in which Diaco picked up the deciding goal in the extra stanza.
Following the team's strong start to the season, the Jumbos struggled in January with a 3−5−2 record. Three of those losses came against NESCAC teams, costing Tufts crucial points in the standings.
With their playoff hopes dangling by a string, the Jumbos righted the ship with four crucial wins in February, enough to clinch the seventh seed in the NESCAC Tournament. Before this year, Tufts had never finished in better position than the eighth spot in the conference standings.
Unfortunately for the Jumbos, though, the hopes for their first−ever NESCAC Tournament win were thwarted by a determined Middlebury squad last Saturday.
Barchard, who earned All−NESCAC first team honors, was the most valuable player on the team this season and single−handedly held up the Jumbos in many games. He eclipsed his impressive numbers from a year ago, raising his season save percentage from .927 to .939, which was the top mark in the nation, as well as setting a team record with 986 total saves this season. Aside from his strong play, Barchard knows that the team will need to improve moving forward.
"We want to get better in the offseason," Barchard said. "People are ready to put in the time and effort to take us to the next level."
Barchard and teammate Tom Derosa, who was named to the All−NESCAC second team, are both semi−finalists for this year's Joe Concannon Award, presented to the best American−born Div. II/III hockey players in New England.
Derosa's 31 points tied him for second−best in the NESCAC while giving him the team lead in points for the second straight year. Derosa tied Diaco with 15 goals for the team's scoring title.
Following his seven points in 19 games last year, Diaco enjoyed a breakout season in 2009−10 with 27 points in 25 games played.
Other notable contributors include junior tri−captain Dylan Cooper, who notched 21 points two seasons in a row, as well as John, who also reached the 20−point plateau this year from the defensive end. However, Tufts will have to part with several seniors. Among those leaving the team will be Antonelli and fellow tri−captain Myles Neumann.
"We lost a lot of leadership — people who did a lot for this program," Barchard said. "It's in the hands of the next generation of leaders now."
"I'm happy with what we accomplished," Antonelli added. "We made enormous strides since our freshman and sophomore years, and I'm fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play for this team and with such a great group of guys."
Despite the disappointing end to the Jumbos' 2009−10 campaign, the future is bright with players like Derosa, Diaco, Cooper and John all returning to the lineup in the fall, as well as Barchard's return in the net. After the team's best season in the NESCAC era, Tufts will look to improve on its solid numbers and go deeper in the postseason next year.
