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   The Jumbos pulled off their first home win of the second semester this past weekend, defeating the Johnson and Wales University Wildcats 5-3. Despite poor officiating and some fairly dirty Wildcats play, the Jumbos won through intense, in-your-face-and-eventually-in-your-goal hockey. There were moments when the Jumbos seemed to have slipped in their trademark hard-nose attitude, but they picked up the tempo in the third period and finished elegantly.
   The Jumbos maintained their composure in the face of the Wildcats' repeated slashing and hooking, though these cheap shots went seemingly unnoticed by the officials. Fans booed and screamed for blood, but the squad maintained its sense of professionalism.
   "They were perhaps the dirtiest team we've played all year," commented senior captain Drew Carleton. "I used to let the other team's cheap stuff get to me, but then I'd end up spending time in the box. I realized that when you retaliate, it can only hurt you and the team."
   Despite the strong, composed start, intensity fell to an all-time low in the second. Defensive holes and weak offense allowed three Wildcats goals in the middle period. "We played our worst period of the year in the second. We stood around and forgot how to play for success," noted Coach Murphy.
   Tufts' momentum re-surged when senior assistant captain Scott Sullivan scored with 10 seconds left in the period, tying the game 3-3. "We really needed that goal," exclaimed Murphy.
   The Jumbos' newfound momentum went undaunted for the entire third period. Tufts, a customarily high-shooting squad, out-shot the Wildcats a whopping 38-23.
   According to Murphy, "I emphasize that when there is a chance, we need to take shots. We use a more aggressive fore-check than most teams, and as a result, we get more offensive chances and more shots."
   "In the break between the second and third periods our coach, coaching staff, Dan Mahoney, Scott Sullivan and Drew Carleton did a great job of rallying the troops, encouraging us to play the game that we know we can play," said sophomore Jordan Karp.
   This supportive atmosphere coupled with Tufts' aggressive offense paid off when Karp slipped the game-winning goal between the Wildcats' goal posts, putting the score at 4-3. Freshman Rob LaQuaglia laid the icing on the cake with his empty net goal at the end of the third, securing the Tufts win at 5-3.
   The Jumbos have high expectations for the future and understand what it takes. "I think that we can win the league this year. Our goal is to beat all the teams that we should beat, like Johnson and Wales, and beat at least two of the four tough teams. However, we see that we can't be overconfident, otherwise we'll certainly have our butts handed to us," said Carleton.
   In addition to their high expectations, it is certain the Jumbos' never-say-die attitude will generate victory, as seen this past Saturday. "We don't pack it in and quit when we're down. There are times when we could call it quits, but instead we fight back. As long as there's time left on the clock, we think that there is a chance to win. We have lapses, but we don't give up," said Carleton.