Saying the right things only gets you so far; there comes a time when accolades come only with success. After drawing rave reviews in their first three quizzes, the men's hockey team passed their first exam with flying colors, pounding St. Michael's College 7-2 in Winooski, VT, on Wednesday night.

So what was it about the Jumbos' win that was so unordinary? They overcame a three-hour bus ride. They battered their opponent in a place they had not won since early 1995. They netted the seemingly unconquerable total of seven goals for the fourth consecutive game. They maintained composure when their opponent drew dirty penalties. They dethroned the preseason number-one ranked team in the ECAC Division II with ease. And, they lit the lamp four times in the first period while playing what everyone agreed was "sloppy" hockey.

Overall, coach Brian Murphy was pleased. "After a trip like that, it's difficult to get yourself ready to play in the first period," he said. "St. Michael's historically tries to take advantage of that. Luckily, we settled down. When we had our chances, we scored. But what I was most happy with was our discipline. That was really key. We stayed disciplined from start to finish."

"It was awesome to go up there and win," junior Jason Boudrow said. "Everyone was pumped. To go to their place and beat them like that - we made a statement."

Senior tri-captain Dan Mahoney echoed the forward's sentiments. "It was a big confidence builder," he said. "Our attitude was different this year. We went up there to win a hockey game, not to hope for some lucky bounces."

Freshman standout Pat Byrne led the offensive attack with two goals, raising his season total to a team-leading six. Senior tri-captain Natan Obed had the Jumbos' first goal and chipped in three assists, and Boudrow tallied a goal and a career-high five assists. Sophomore Mike Carceo, Mahoney, and senior Justin Picone rounded out the scoring for Tufts.

Ben Crapser continued his incredible freshman campaign in goal by stopping 30 shots. A pre-season question mark, Crapser has not only made the expected saves, but baled out the experienced blue line on several occasions.

"Crapser was there to save us," Mahoney said. "We weren't covering the right guys. Our defense was noticeably shaky in the first 10-12 minutes. He was there though."

Boudrow also raved about the freshman manning the posts. "He really is unbelievable. He is the backbone of this team right now," he said. "Our winning 7-2 could easily have turned into a tie game without him back there."

The Jumbos knew that Boudrow would be a barometer of the team's success. Although he missed all of last season, Boudrow's torrid offensive production has been a key to Tufts' success thus far.

"So far this year I feel good," he said. "I'm still not playing as well as I would like to… my timing is not all the way back yet." Even without his timing, Boudrow's presence has sparked an offense that lost its two most productive players from last year.

Perhaps the biggest sign of things to come for this year's edition of the hockey team is the lack of complacency it has shown after its fast start. Players and coaches are quick to temper the November romp, always noting those things on which work must be done.

"Our defense needs to be more consistent," said Mahoney, the blue line's anchor. Boudrow also spoke out. "We still have a things to improve on, like cleaning up our play in the defensive zone," he said.

With the understanding that they will settle for nothing less than a championship, the Jumbos take an unblemished record into their Saturday rematch against Stonehill.

"Stonehill is the best team we have played so far," Murphy said. "But we know if we play well we can win every and any game on our schedule. We will watch some tape, but we won the last game [7-4] so I don't think we have to adjust anything. We just have to be ready to play."

Tufts looks to continue its winning ways in North Eaton on Saturday, where the puck will be dropped at 4:45.