Tufts Men's Hockey 2012-2013: Season Review

10. Tufts University Jumbos             

2012-2013 Record:
7-15-2 Overall
2-14-2 NESCAC (10th in NESCAC)

Stats:
Overall  (Conference Rank)                       Conference Games (conf. rank)
Offense: 2.79 G/GM (7th)                              Offense: 2.56 G/GM (8th)

Defense: 4.17 G/GM (10th)                           Defense: 4.78 G/GM (10th)

Power Play: 22/107 -20.6% (5th)                   Power Play: 18/79 -22.8% (4th) 

Penalty Kill: 80/108 - 74.1% (9th)                 Penalty Kill: 65/87 - 74.7% (8th)

Preseason predictions
After a 2011-2012 season in which Tufts uncharacteristically finished in the top four and hosted a quarterfinal NESCAC playoff game for the first time in school history, hopes were high for the Jumbos heading into the 2012-2013 season. USCHO's Tim Costello picked them to finish sixth, citing optimism for their returning cast of experienced sophomores and juniors but skepticism at having to replace All-NESCAC Second Team goalie Scott Barchard (G, '12). The WordPress Blog had them finishing fifth, citing the same concerns.


Season Review
The Jumbos season can only be described as a disappointment, but it didn't start that way. The light blue and brown opened up the season with two conference games, a tie against Trinity and victory over Wesleyan. They followed it up with a 6-0 trouncing of Curry, before splitting a pair of games the weekend after Thanksgiving against Manhatanville/Brockport in the Rutland Invitational.

After the (3-1-1) start, Tufts closed out 2012 with four straight conference losses in early December. 2013 wasn't much better in conference, with the Jumbos going 1-10-1 in the NESCAC to finish in last. Out of conference games were different, with coach Brian Murphy's team winning all three contests in 2013 against Canton, Suffolk and ECAC Northeastern leading Wentworth, who may make the NCAA tournamnet.

In the end, replacing Barchard turned out to be too large a task, as the Jumbos gave up 4.17 goals per game, last in the conference and a full half a goal more than ninth worst Continentals of Hamilton (3.67 GPG). In conference games, the disparity was even worse, as Tufts gave up 4.78 GPG, almost a full goal more than ninth place Colby (3.83 GPG).

High Point
The (3-1-1) start when hopes were still high for the season. Honorable mention to the 2-0 shutout against Wentworth and the Nemo delayed  6-4 "home" victory over Hamilton on 2/10 hosted at Conn College. It was the first conference win in almost three months since the 11/17 win over Wesleyan and gave the Jumbos legitimate playoff aspirations with three games remaining.

Low Point
When you go 2-14-2 in conference, there are a lot of low points. But the nadir came in the final game against Colby (Tufts had already been eliminated from playoff contention), when senior co-captain Nick Metcalfe (D, Sr.) was ejected in the first period for fighting; a premature end to his final game as a Jumbo, just a year removed from helping lead Tufts to its first ever home playoff game.

Not exactly a poetic way to end your college career. But if there was some hope for the Jumbos future in imagery from that game, it was in net. Nick's younger brother, Derek Metcalfe (G Fr.), who is just a freshman, made the start between the pipes.

MVP
Kyle Gallegos (F, Jr.) Not as successful as his sophomore year, which earned him a spot on the  2011-12 All-NESCAC Second Team, but the junior from Colorado still lead the team in goals (11), power play goals (5) and game winning goals (2) to finish the season with 18 points (11-7-18).