Nov. 20: On the strength of four goals by senior captain and forward Drew Carleton, the men’s hockey team opens the season with an 8-4 win over Suffolk. The Jumbos jump in front by a 3-0 margin early in the game and never look back.

Nov. 27-28: Tufts is manhandled in its Thanksgiving Tournament at Waterville, Maine. Against top-flight competition, the team loses to Colby, 9-2, after allowing six goals in the first period. The next day, in the consolation game against Oswego State, the Jumbos are defeated by a 10-2 margin. “I think we just put [it] behind us and chalk it up to a learning experience,” Carleton would say.

Dec. 1-11: The team gets back on track, going on a four-game winning streak before winter break. The streak begins with a huge win 5-2 win over St. Michael’s, a team that the Jumbos had not beaten in six years.

Jan. 31: Sophomore Ian Kell is named ECAC Northeast Goalie of the Week after a 49-save performance in a 4-3 win over Lebanon Valley.

Feb. 5: The Jumbos lose their first ECAC Northeast game after seven straight wins. The Fitchburg State Falcons, whom the Jumbos will see again less than a month later, earn a 4-1 win and move into first place in the division.

Feb. 15: A 4-2 road win over Plymouth State secures a home playoff game for Tufts, the first since 1989. With the win, the team improves to 11-7-1 and 9-2-1 in the ECAC Northeast.

Feb. 17: Tufts falls to ECAC Northeast regular season champ Wentworth, 4-3, and loses a chance to finish first in the division. The loss is tough to stomach for the team, which holdsleads of 2-1 and 3-2 before allowing two goals in the third period. With the loss, the team finishes the regular season with a 9-3-1 record in the ECAC Northeast and will go on to finish third in the division.

Feb. 26: The Jumbos chalk up their first playoff win in 12 years with a 7-4 triumph over the sixth-seeded Johnson & Wales Wildcats in the first round of the ECAC Northeast Tournament. Carleton picks up a hat trick, scoring his 25th, 26th, and 27th goals of the season. Tufts controls the game almost from the beginning, scoring three unanswered goals in the first period after falling behind 1-0 just 45 seconds into the contest.

March. 1: The season ends in heartbreaking fashion for the team, which was just a game away from the ECAC Northeast Championships. A road battle with Fitchburg State results in a 4-3 overtime loss. Tufts battles back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1, as freshman Mike Carceo ties the game with just over ten minutes left in the third period. The overtime loss, however, ended the Jumbos’ season.

March. 2: Carleton and junior defenseman and assistant captain Dan Mahoney are named to the All-ECAC Northeast First Team.