Disappointing Start to November

The first full weekend of play in November was a disappointing one for the Jumbos, as they suffered losses at the hands of UMass Lowell and Daniel Webster College to fall to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in NECHA play. The Jumbos looked exceedingly lethargic in a home contest against the UMass Minutemen on friday, and the Minutemen jumped at the opportunity. Capitalizing on a number of the Jumbos' mistakes, the Minutemen shot out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back. A better Tufts effort in the second period seemed to change the momentum of the game temporarily, but laziness on the part of the Jumbos resumed in the third, and they fell 12-2. Looking to rebound in NECHA play on Saturday, Tufts took on the Daniel Webster College Eagles in a rematch of the 2009 NECHA semifinals, a game that removed Tufts from playoff contention. Despite a strong effort by the Jumbos, stellar defensive play and goaltending by the Eagles kept the surging Tufts squad off of the scoreboard. Opportunistic offense proved to be the difference maker, as the Jumbos controlled the play for the majority of the game, but ultimately fell 5-3. A late offensive by Tufts on an extended powerplay in the third seemed to be turning things around, but it was too little to late. The Jumbos look to rebound this coming weekend, with a NECHA game against Roger Williams University, followed by a non-conference contest against Brown University.