Sports
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tuftsdaily.com
Women’s Lacrosse
Jumbos enter tough weekend test at 3-2 by
Ross Dember
Daily Staff Writer
Following a spring break that saw them split two games, the No. 15 women’s lacrosse team will look to end this week with two important victories. Today at 4:30 p.m. the Jumbos host Endicott, the team’s second-to-last nonconference game of the season. With three straight match-ups against top-11 teams lurking in the background, this early-season game would be massive for their momentum and a boost to a record that has seen them struggle a bit in the early going. Coming into this weekend, however, the 3-2 Jumbos are showing improvements in many important aspects. Following their opening loss to No. 14 Hamilton that saw the Jumbos soundly defeated on 50/50 balls, Tufts closed the gap, even taking the majority of groundballs and draw controls in a tough 14-9 loss to No. 6 Colby. “After the Hamilton game, we realized how important the 50/50 balls [are],” senior attacker and co-captain Kerry Eaton said. “Since then, we have placed a greater emphasis in practice on ground balls and draw controls to better ourselves at winning the 50/50 balls in games.” Additionally, the Jumbos have struggled at the beginning of halves, as they allowed five unanswered goals at the beginning of the second period against the Mules, which turned a one-goal game into a massive lead for Colby. “The first five minutes of each half dictate how the rest of the game will go,” freshman attacker Caroline Ross said. “We need to dominate during that time.” While Endicott has a 3-3 record, its wins have come against relatively weak competition. The Jumbos will need to avoid complacency, however, and look ahead with No. 1 Trinity coming up on Saturday. So far this year, the Bantams have
Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily
The Bantams are currently the No.1 ranked team in the country, meaning the Jumbos will face a difficult battle in their Saturday afternoon matchup. outscored their opponents 82-21 and are 5-0, but the Jumbos believe they have the talent and mentality to take down the top team in the nation. “To beat Trinity we need to be composed and intense in all aspects of our game from defense through transition
and on attack,” Eaton said. “We can’t be timid when we play them just because of their ranking.” The Jumbos will look to use their early-season experience against other tough NESCAC opponents to try and pull off the upset to put themselves
Men’s Lacrosse
Jumbos look to avenge last year’s loss to Trinity by Jason Schneiderman
Daily Staff Writer
After a tough start to the season, including two one-goal losses to in-conference rivals, the Tufts men’s lacrosse team has finally found the form that brought them to the Div. III Championship Semifinal a year ago. A four-game stretch over spring break saw the Jumbos take down then No. 4-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology, No. 2 Stevenson College, NESCAC opponent Colby College and No. 15 Western New England University. The first three of those four games were all on the road, adding to the strenuous start to the season, but the Jumbos were clearly up to the task. “Playing so many consecutive road games is definitely a challenge,” junior midfielder Beau Wood said. “But those same challenges allow us to grow as a team.” The players and coaches now turn their attention to Trinity College, which the Jumbos face this Saturday at 1 p.m. on Bello Field. Trinity will bring a winless NESCAC record and 2-4 overall record into the conference clash, but Tufts knows not to take the Bantams lightly. A season ago, Trinity was only one of two teams able to defeat
Will Butt / Tufts Daily Archives
Junior Kane Delaney and the Jumbos fell 9-8 in overtime to the Bantams last year, but will look to avenge that loss and pick up their second NESCAC win on Saturday. the Jumbos in the regular season, winning 9-8 in overtime, in a game marked by Tufts’ inability to capitalize on opportunities. Tufts outshot Trinity 54-33, held the groundball advantage 37-27 and won 15 of 21 faceoffs, but in a five minute stretch starting in the
second period, Tufts was caught completely on their heels, allowing four unanswered goals to the Bantams, which were ultimately too much for them to overcome. The Jumbos were able to oversee MEN’S LACROSSE, page 15
in position for a favorable spot in the NESCAC tournament. “Every day is a progression and every game we look to get better,” Eaton said. “Clearly we have some tough opponents coming up, but we are ready for the challenge.”
Inside the NCAA
Madness rivets nation as Sweet 16 matchups commence by
Andy Linder and Alex Schroeder Daily Editorial Board
It’s tough to argue that this year’s NCAA Tournament hasn’t been exciting. The upsets have come in spades, as Florida Gulf Coast University, the first 15-seed to ever reach the Sweet 16, has dunked its way past Georgetown and San Diego St., and La Salle has fought its way to the fourth round, most recently knocking off the polarizing Marshall Henderson and Ole Miss. Everyone who picked Gonzaga for the Final Four are grieving over Wichita St.’s rout of the Bulldogs, while Oregon has showed why that No. 12 seed they received was a bit misleading. Whether your bracket has been busted or ranks in the top percentile, the games have been thrilling across the board. Here’s our preview of the Sweet 16: No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 12 Oregon The No. 1 overall-seeded Louisville Cardinals have carried their momentum after winning the Big East Championship, dominating in their first two rounds of play with wins of 31 and 26 points, respectively. Junior guard Russ Smith has
been nothing short of brilliant, scoring 27 on Saturday against No. 8 Colorado St., and the Cardinals have won 12 straight since their big five-overtime loss to Notre Dame. While Oregon might be considered an underdog up against coach Rick Pitino, if there’s any team as hot as Louisville, it’s the Ducks. After receiving a questionable No. 12 seed, the Pac-12 champions have dominated, rolling past No. 5 Oklahoma St. and then No. 4 St. Louis, 74-57. The Ducks will need to continue the strong team effort if they even have a shot at knocking off the red and black.
The Pick: Louisville Cardinals
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Michigan St. The other game in the Midwest region will feature an even level of talent on both sides of the floor. After falling as a 2-seed last year in the Round of 64, coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils have proven they won’t go down easily in 2013, cruising to easy victories over Albany and Creighton to reach the Sweet 16. NBA prospects Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry have carried their squad, combining for a whopping see INSIDE NCAA, page 15