NESCAC

[The12lov3]

No one knew on this forum who Tommy Swank was until his junior year.

I had to go way (way) back to make sure I wasn't misremembering this, but...both JBFortunato and pcowlax talked about him as an incoming freshman in the 2020 thread and for whatever reason that stuck in my head even though he barely played in '21 or '22. Credit to them, only reason I knew who he was going into 2023.

Nice research - kudos for you for finding he facts. My point is that Swank who barely played his first two season was awesome and sounds like only a select few knew who he was. When was the last time Tufts had a NESCAC rookie of the year? Anyone know.

[The12lov3]

Maybe the Trinity and Conn dads will chill after yesterday being exactly how it's always been.....

I saw parts of both games via stream, and honestly it was hard to tell if Tufts and Bowdoin are that dominant or if Conn and Trin just are not very good at all. It felt like the latter despite all the hype on this forum. Conn was outmanned and Trin looked desperate and played dirty at times.

Dominant teams tend to make weaker teams looks a lot worse then they are so not sure of your statement here. The test for Tufts will be CNU and RIT. Middlebury will be test for Bowdoin. Not sure how good Middlebury this year meaning can Middlebury compete with the likes of RIT, CNU, and Salisbury,.

[NNELax]

Von Mabbs would be idolized on this forum if he played in the NESCAC...He should break a lot of records at Swarthmore...and he didn't get to play in 2021...

[pcowlax]

No one knew on this forum who Tommy Swank was until his junior year.

I had to go way (way) back to make sure I wasn't misremembering this, but...both JBFortunato and pcowlax talked about him as an incoming freshman in the 2020 thread and for whatever reason that stuck in my head even though he barely played in '21 or '22. Credit to them, only reason I knew who he was going into 2023.

Nice research - kudos for you for finding he facts. My point is that Swank who barely played his first two season was awesome and sounds like only a select few knew who he was. When was the last time Tufts had a NESCAC rookie of the year? Anyone know.

Great memory! I had the advantage of living in Swank’s hometown and thus had seen him play a few times in high school. The absolute rockets he was launching were going to translate wherever he went. His game certainly filled out while at Tufts.

[hooray]

Von Mabbs would be idolized on this forum if he played in the NESCAC...He should break a lot of records at Swarthmore...and he didn't get to play in 2021...

100%. Same can be said for Carter Strauch, teams have a nightmare deciding who to put their top cover guy on. Think these two will cause a lot of problems for Amherst and that's just the top of a very deep Swarthmore offense

[callaxdad]

Amherst has Springfield and Hamilton up next, but to me the bigger game for them in the near future is Swarthmore in about 10 days. This one should be a super good game / test for both teams in my mind

Hamilton just scored 20+ goals for the 1st time since they joined the NESCAC.
Amherst can't afford to overlook them at 0-1

Viewed every game yesterday, watching some more than others.
My best attempt at rankings:

1) Middlebury
2) Bowdoin
3) Tufts
4) Amherst
5) Wesleyan
6) Williams
7) Conn
8) Hamilton
9) Trinity
10) Colby
11) Bates

Middlebury had the best win & Bowdoin's box score is a result of a Trinity Goalie who stood on their head.
If both survive their midweek tests - winner has a case for #1

Tufts reloads & still plays dangerously fast - but they may not have the marquee player they've had in past seasons.
Their defense/starter looked solid through 3Q and 32 shots, only giving up 4

I'd say for 4-9... we won't really know, till we know.

Not sure that you can say that Tufts "reloaded" based upon yesterday's game. Putting the final score aside, seemed like a good battle between two very good goalies, Tufts definitely has a good one between the pipes. This week will be the real test for Tufts. Did not see any of the Bowdoin game, but did catch a bit of Middlebury, they looked pretty solid.

I know what you're saying - we've been used to them putting up close to 29 the past few years.
But 19 goals (16 in 3Q) is still a good turnout.
Not to mention, against a goalie many have been gleaming about on this forum the past few weeks...

It was a good game - Shots were 15-14 after the 1st quarter.
Conn continues to look like they're headed in the right direction.
The Tufts starter had 12 saves - including several within 5 yards

Tufts blew them out. It was not even a game. Tufts was up by double digits at half time and had a little bit of a scoring drought in the third and then took out all their starters. They dominated them on faceoff. The Conn goalie stood on their head and if it was not for him the score would have been 30 to 9.


The Jumbos will get ALOT better as the season progresses. Might have sone hiccups along the way but once again they have young talent and seem to be in a good position to compete on the national stage.

Look, we all understand what happened in the game, but it was certainly not a defining moment for either team.

I won't disagree with the bulk of what you said but, I'm gonna nit pick a bit here, does any team have a "defining moment" the first game of the season? Very impressive win for the Bos.

[shorelax12]

Amherst has Springfield and Hamilton up next, but to me the bigger game for them in the near future is Swarthmore in about 10 days. This one should be a super good game / test for both teams in my mind

Hamilton just scored 20+ goals for the 1st time since they joined the NESCAC.
Amherst can't afford to overlook them at 0-1

Viewed every game yesterday, watching some more than others.
My best attempt at rankings:

1) Middlebury
2) Bowdoin
3) Tufts
4) Amherst
5) Wesleyan
6) Williams
7) Conn
8) Hamilton
9) Trinity
10) Colby
11) Bates

Middlebury had the best win & Bowdoin's box score is a result of a Trinity Goalie who stood on their head.
If both survive their midweek tests - winner has a case for #1

Tufts reloads & still plays dangerously fast - but they may not have the marquee player they've had in past seasons.
Their defense/starter looked solid through 3Q and 32 shots, only giving up 4

I'd say for 4-9... we won't really know, till we know.

Not sure that you can say that Tufts "reloaded" based upon yesterday's game. Putting the final score aside, seemed like a good battle between two very good goalies, Tufts definitely has a good one between the pipes. This week will be the real test for Tufts. Did not see any of the Bowdoin game, but did catch a bit of Middlebury, they looked pretty solid.

I know what you're saying - we've been used to them putting up close to 29 the past few years.
But 19 goals (16 in 3Q) is still a good turnout.
Not to mention, against a goalie many have been gleaming about on this forum the past few weeks...

It was a good game - Shots were 15-14 after the 1st quarter.
Conn continues to look like they're headed in the right direction.
The Tufts starter had 12 saves - including several within 5 yards

Tufts blew them out. It was not even a game. Tufts was up by double digits at half time and had a little bit of a scoring drought in the third and then took out all their starters. They dominated them on faceoff. The Conn goalie stood on their head and if it was not for him the score would have been 30 to 9.


The Jumbos will get ALOT better as the season progresses. Might have sone hiccups along the way but once again they have young talent and seem to be in a good position to compete on the national stage.

Look, we all understand what happened in the game, but it was certainly not a defining moment for either team.

I won't disagree with the bulk of what you said but, I'm gonna nit pick a bit here, does any team have a "defining moment" the first game of the season? Very impressive win for the Bos.

Fair point.

[callaxdad]

Amherst has Springfield and Hamilton up next, but to me the bigger game for them in the near future is Swarthmore in about 10 days. This one should be a super good game / test for both teams in my mind

Hamilton just scored 20+ goals for the 1st time since they joined the NESCAC.
Amherst can't afford to overlook them at 0-1

Viewed every game yesterday, watching some more than others.
My best attempt at rankings:

1) Middlebury
2) Bowdoin
3) Tufts
4) Amherst
5) Wesleyan
6) Williams
7) Conn
8) Hamilton
9) Trinity
10) Colby
11) Bates

Middlebury had the best win & Bowdoin's box score is a result of a Trinity Goalie who stood on their head.
If both survive their midweek tests - winner has a case for #1

Tufts reloads & still plays dangerously fast - but they may not have the marquee player they've had in past seasons.
Their defense/starter looked solid through 3Q and 32 shots, only giving up 4

I'd say for 4-9... we won't really know, till we know.

Not sure that you can say that Tufts "reloaded" based upon yesterday's game. Putting the final score aside, seemed like a good battle between two very good goalies, Tufts definitely has a good one between the pipes. This week will be the real test for Tufts. Did not see any of the Bowdoin game, but did catch a bit of Middlebury, they looked pretty solid.

I know what you're saying - we've been used to them putting up close to 29 the past few years.
But 19 goals (16 in 3Q) is still a good turnout.
Not to mention, against a goalie many have been gleaming about on this forum the past few weeks...

It was a good game - Shots were 15-14 after the 1st quarter.
Conn continues to look like they're headed in the right direction.
The Tufts starter had 12 saves - including several within 5 yards

Tufts blew them out. It was not even a game. Tufts was up by double digits at half time and had a little bit of a scoring drought in the third and then took out all their starters. They dominated them on faceoff. The Conn goalie stood on their head and if it was not for him the score would have been 30 to 9.


The Jumbos will get ALOT better as the season progresses. Might have sone hiccups along the way but once again they have young talent and seem to be in a good position to compete on the national stage.

Look, we all understand what happened in the game, but it was certainly not a defining moment for either team.

I won't disagree with the bulk of what you said but, I'm gonna nit pick a bit here, does any team have a "defining moment" the first game of the season? Very impressive win for the Bos.

Fair point.

Also, while I don't necessarily agree with your order (I am biased!), I think it's a three team league this year (the 3 at the top of your list) and those 3 will battle it out for home field advantage for the NESCAC tournament.

[shorelax12]

Amherst has Springfield and Hamilton up next, but to me the bigger game for them in the near future is Swarthmore in about 10 days. This one should be a super good game / test for both teams in my mind

Hamilton just scored 20+ goals for the 1st time since they joined the NESCAC.
Amherst can't afford to overlook them at 0-1

Viewed every game yesterday, watching some more than others.
My best attempt at rankings:

1) Middlebury
2) Bowdoin
3) Tufts
4) Amherst
5) Wesleyan
6) Williams
7) Conn
8) Hamilton
9) Trinity
10) Colby
11) Bates

Middlebury had the best win & Bowdoin's box score is a result of a Trinity Goalie who stood on their head.
If both survive their midweek tests - winner has a case for #1

Tufts reloads & still plays dangerously fast - but they may not have the marquee player they've had in past seasons.
Their defense/starter looked solid through 3Q and 32 shots, only giving up 4

I'd say for 4-9... we won't really know, till we know.

Not sure that you can say that Tufts "reloaded" based upon yesterday's game. Putting the final score aside, seemed like a good battle between two very good goalies, Tufts definitely has a good one between the pipes. This week will be the real test for Tufts. Did not see any of the Bowdoin game, but did catch a bit of Middlebury, they looked pretty solid.

I know what you're saying - we've been used to them putting up close to 29 the past few years.
But 19 goals (16 in 3Q) is still a good turnout.
Not to mention, against a goalie many have been gleaming about on this forum the past few weeks...

It was a good game - Shots were 15-14 after the 1st quarter.
Conn continues to look like they're headed in the right direction.
The Tufts starter had 12 saves - including several within 5 yards

Tufts blew them out. It was not even a game. Tufts was up by double digits at half time and had a little bit of a scoring drought in the third and then took out all their starters. They dominated them on faceoff. The Conn goalie stood on their head and if it was not for him the score would have been 30 to 9.


The Jumbos will get ALOT better as the season progresses. Might have sone hiccups along the way but once again they have young talent and seem to be in a good position to compete on the national stage.

Look, we all understand what happened in the game, but it was certainly not a defining moment for either team.

I won't disagree with the bulk of what you said but, I'm gonna nit pick a bit here, does any team have a "defining moment" the first game of the season? Very impressive win for the Bos.

Fair point.

Also, while I don't necessarily agree with your order (I am biased!), I think it's a three team league this year (the 3 at the top of your list) and those 3 will battle it out for home field advantage for the NESCAC tournament.

Not my picks, but no arguments with your top 3 theory, and certainly no need for the disclaimer, we are all biased on here.

[callaxdad]

Amherst has Springfield and Hamilton up next, but to me the bigger game for them in the near future is Swarthmore in about 10 days. This one should be a super good game / test for both teams in my mind

Hamilton just scored 20+ goals for the 1st time since they joined the NESCAC.
Amherst can't afford to overlook them at 0-1

Viewed every game yesterday, watching some more than others.
My best attempt at rankings:

1) Middlebury
2) Bowdoin
3) Tufts
4) Amherst
5) Wesleyan
6) Williams
7) Conn
8) Hamilton
9) Trinity
10) Colby
11) Bates

Middlebury had the best win & Bowdoin's box score is a result of a Trinity Goalie who stood on their head.
If both survive their midweek tests - winner has a case for #1

Tufts reloads & still plays dangerously fast - but they may not have the marquee player they've had in past seasons.
Their defense/starter looked solid through 3Q and 32 shots, only giving up 4

I'd say for 4-9... we won't really know, till we know.

Not sure that you can say that Tufts "reloaded" based upon yesterday's game. Putting the final score aside, seemed like a good battle between two very good goalies, Tufts definitely has a good one between the pipes. This week will be the real test for Tufts. Did not see any of the Bowdoin game, but did catch a bit of Middlebury, they looked pretty solid.

I know what you're saying - we've been used to them putting up close to 29 the past few years.
But 19 goals (16 in 3Q) is still a good turnout.
Not to mention, against a goalie many have been gleaming about on this forum the past few weeks...

It was a good game - Shots were 15-14 after the 1st quarter.
Conn continues to look like they're headed in the right direction.
The Tufts starter had 12 saves - including several within 5 yards

Tufts blew them out. It was not even a game. Tufts was up by double digits at half time and had a little bit of a scoring drought in the third and then took out all their starters. They dominated them on faceoff. The Conn goalie stood on their head and if it was not for him the score would have been 30 to 9.


The Jumbos will get ALOT better as the season progresses. Might have sone hiccups along the way but once again they have young talent and seem to be in a good position to compete on the national stage.

Look, we all understand what happened in the game, but it was certainly not a defining moment for either team.

I won't disagree with the bulk of what you said but, I'm gonna nit pick a bit here, does any team have a "defining moment" the first game of the season? Very impressive win for the Bos.

Fair point.

Also, while I don't necessarily agree with your order (I am biased!), I think it's a three team league this year (the 3 at the top of your list) and those 3 will battle it out for home field advantage for the NESCAC tournament.

Not my picks, but no arguments with your top 3 theory, and certainly no need for the disclaimer, we are all biased on here.

Yes, very good point Shore!!

[SteelEngine88]

Early Lines for Next Weekend and Picks

Williams (-10.5) at Bates

Pick: Williams -10.5 is a huge spread but I mean I don't think Bates is keeping it within 10 with most NESCAC teams this year besides maybe Colby or if the Camels start to spiral.

Middlebury at Bowdoin (-1.5)

Pick: Middlebury +1.5. Middlebury coming off a huge win this past weekend rolls the momentum into Bowdoin. Only reason I feel Bowdoin is -1.5 is due to the home field advantage of the 4 and a half hour trip.

Tufts (-6.5) at Trinity

Pick: Trinity +6.5. I see this game going very similarly to Trinity's game against Bowdoin last weekend, Trinity comes out strong and swinging but it will be crucial for them to keep that same energy against a fast paced Tufts team. Still like them to cover though.

Hamilton at Amherst (-3.5)

Pick: Amherst -3.5. Taking into account Hamilton's win by 13 last week and Amherst starting off with a loss makes this line closer than I feel like it should be but I'm just making these lines how i think Vegas would. This seems like an Amherst route to me. Could see them winning by 7-10.

Colby at Conn (-3.5)

Pick: Conn -3.5. Both teams got smacked last week. I honestly just like the home team here.

[SaltCounty]

I want to see what happens in the midweek games before Saturday picks:

Hamilton @ Utica - Hamilton rolls & builds momentum for their trip to Amherst.

RPI @ Middlebury - Can't miss game. Going to go the full 60 minutes. Midd ends RPI's streak & gets another big win at home.

Bates @ Keene - Bates wins. You get a different Keene at their place. But that program has fallen on hard times.

Salve @ Wesleyan - Wesleyan has outscored Salve 44-18 in the shot clock era. They win by 10+ again in 2024

WNE @ Bowdoin - You've better get up for WNE on a weeknight. Polar Bears will take care of business in Brunswick.

Union @ Williams - Union gave up 13/12 to Babson, Endicott & Springfield. Ephs offset face-offs with high percentage shooting & knock off Union.

Amherst @ Springfield - Both teams need one here. Sounds like Amherst has more ?'s than expected. Springfield gets them while they're down.

[wavylax2655]

I want to see what happens in the midweek games before Saturday picks:

Hamilton @ Utica - Hamilton rolls & builds momentum for their trip to Amherst.

RPI @ Middlebury - Can't miss game. Going to go the full 60 minutes. Midd ends RPI's streak & gets another big win at home.

Bates @ Keene - Bates wins. You get a different Keene at their place. But that program has fallen on hard times.

Salve @ Wesleyan - Wesleyan has outscored Salve 44-18 in the shot clock era. They win by 10+ again in 2024

WNE @ Bowdoin - You've better get up for WNE on a weeknight. Polar Bears will take care of business in Brunswick.

Union @ Williams - Union gave up 13/12 to Babson, Endicott & Springfield. Ephs offset face-offs with high percentage shooting & knock off Union.

Amherst @ Springfield - Both teams need one here. Sounds like Amherst has more ?'s than expected. Springfield gets them while they're down.

Some really fascinating matchups during the midweek! Here are my takes:
Hamilton is going to roll Utica
RPI @ Midd is going to be a battle but I don't see a world where Midd doesn't win by more than 3 or 4
Bates should crush Keene
Wes always has an early-season cupcake schedule and that will continue with a resounding win over Salve
WNE @ Bowdoin should be interesting. WNE is a scrappy team and if Bowdoin doesn't bring it, there could be trouble in Maine
Union @ Williams is another potential barnburner, but I like Union on this one. They handled the Ephs last year and I think they will do the same with the advantage they have in the special teams. Expecting a 3 to 4 goal win from the Dutchmen
Last time Amherst was at Springfield they lost in OT, and although they are coming off a tough loss to Midd, I think they will turn the ship around in this game. If they can clean up their clearing, they should get a convincing win with the amount of faceoffs Kopp will win

Would love everyone's thoughts on the Tufts vs CNU game. Don't know much about CNU except for the fact that they returned almost everyone from their dominant team in 2023. There should be some fantastic matchups all over the field

[The12lov3]

[/quote]
Some really fascinating matchups during the midweek! Here are my takes:
Hamilton is going to roll Utica
RPI @ Midd is going to be a battle but I don't see a world where Midd doesn't win by more than 3 or 4
Bates should crush Keene
Wes always has an early-season cupcake schedule and that will continue with a resounding win over Salve
WNE @ Bowdoin should be interesting. WNE is a scrappy team and if Bowdoin doesn't bring it, there could be trouble in Maine
Union @ Williams is another potential barnburner, but I like Union on this one. They handled the Ephs last year and I think they will do the same with the advantage they have in the special teams. Expecting a 3 to 4 goal win from the Dutchmen
Last time Amherst was at Springfield they lost in OT, and although they are coming off a tough loss to Midd, I think they will turn the ship around in this game. If they can clean up their clearing, they should get a convincing win with the amount of faceoffs Kopp will win

Would love everyone's thoughts on the Tufts vs CNU game. Don't know much about CNU except for the fact that they returned almost everyone from their dominant team in 2023. There should be some fantastic matchups all over the field
[/quote]

I think there are a lot of people who see this as the game which will show how good Tufts is this year. A hard-fought game with a close score will show that Tufts has replaced enough to compete with the other tops teams in the country. A blowout of Tufts would not be a good sign and I think would confirm that they may not be the top team in the NESCAC. It is so hard to tell what the Jumbos have this year offensively. There defense is solid but who knows about their offensive firepower. After the first game against Conn, it looked promising but CNU is not Conn and they will have much more skilled players on both sides of the ball.

[JumboFan4]

Not sure how telling this game will be for either team as the forecast currently calls for 1-2 inches of rain.

[Unknown Participant]

Not sure how telling this game will be for either team as the forecast currently calls for 1-2 inches of rain.

It will be a Tufts win. I've seen plenty of highy touted teams come to Bello or play Tufts from the South (which means south of the PA/NY line, ex-Salisbury of course) over the last few years and lose, generally badly. We'll see. I'll be there to watch.

[SaltCounty]

I want to see what happens in the midweek games before Saturday picks:

Hamilton @ Utica - Hamilton rolls & builds momentum for their trip to Amherst.

RPI @ Middlebury - Can't miss game. Going to go the full 60 minutes. Midd ends RPI's streak & gets another big win at home.

Bates @ Keene - Bates wins. You get a different Keene at their place. But that program has fallen on hard times.

Salve @ Wesleyan - Wesleyan has outscored Salve 44-18 in the shot clock era. They win by 10+ again in 2024

WNE @ Bowdoin - You've better get up for WNE on a weeknight. Polar Bears will take care of business in Brunswick.

Union @ Williams - Union gave up 13/12 to Babson, Endicott & Springfield. Ephs offset face-offs with high percentage shooting & knock off Union.

Amherst @ Springfield - Both teams need one here. Sounds like Amherst has more ?'s than expected. Springfield gets them while they're down.

Some really fascinating matchups during the midweek! Here are my takes:
Hamilton is going to roll Utica
RPI @ Midd is going to be a battle but I don't see a world where Midd doesn't win by more than 3 or 4
Bates should crush Keene
Wes always has an early-season cupcake schedule and that will continue with a resounding win over Salve
WNE @ Bowdoin should be interesting. WNE is a scrappy team and if Bowdoin doesn't bring it, there could be trouble in Maine
Union @ Williams is another potential barnburner, but I like Union on this one. They handled the Ephs last year and I think they will do the same with the advantage they have in the special teams. Expecting a 3 to 4 goal win from the Dutchmen
Last time Amherst was at Springfield they lost in OT, and although they are coming off a tough loss to Midd, I think they will turn the ship around in this game. If they can clean up their clearing, they should get a convincing win with the amount of faceoffs Kopp will win

Would love everyone's thoughts on the Tufts vs CNU game. Don't know much about CNU except for the fact that they returned almost everyone from their dominant team in 2023. There should be some fantastic matchups all over the field

I spaced and forgot to mention the other two games.

Skidmore @ Trinity - This is a close one. Trinity usually plays teams better in Hartford than on the road. Bantams outlast 5-0 Skidmore.

CNU @ Tufts - I don't think its in CNU's blood to slow the game down & play 6v6 like Salisbury did on MDW. Jumbos win the shootout.

[GoTerriers8]

Per some previous comments, I feel as if this Swarthmore game will be. arude awakening for Amherst. Middlebury made them seem soft and slow, and Swarthmore loves taking it to teams with physicality, sometimes to a fault, especially #19 trying to ride. Anyone know how Amherst sort of came back at the end?

[WoodStick]

Maybe the Trinity and Conn dads will chill after yesterday being exactly how it's always been.....

I saw parts of both games via stream, and honestly it was hard to tell if Tufts and Bowdoin are that dominant or if Conn and Trin just are not very good at all. It felt like the latter despite all the hype on this forum. Conn was outmanned and Trin looked desperate and played dirty at times.

Dominant teams tend to make weaker teams looks a lot worse then they are so not sure of your statement here. The test for Tufts will be CNU and RIT. Middlebury will be test for Bowdoin. Not sure how good Middlebury this year meaning can Middlebury compete with the likes of RIT, CNU, and Salisbury,.

Agreed on all points CNU will definitely be a really good test and does Middlebury have the physical makeup to handle teams like RIT. I think Conn will be just fine and show the improvement that others expect, Rice is really good and can makeup for some miscues in front of him. In terms of Trin and playing dirty, I have heard that before, in fact a Midd parent told me that is was bizarre how out of control they were and their staff was ambivalent or even promoted it. Strange.

[aroundtheoutside]

Would love everyone's thoughts on the Tufts vs CNU game. Don't know much about CNU except for the fact that they returned almost everyone from their dominant team in 2023. There should be some fantastic matchups all over the field

CNU's offense is loaded. Andrew Cook (M) is a juggernaut and can take over a game. Brendes (A) is extremely slick and can score in a variety of ways. Miller (A) has mostly been a facilitator in the past but has stepped up as more of a dynamic scoring threat this year. Sometimes they get bogged down playing hero ball, but when they're passing a lot they are hard to slow down. They seem equally comfortable playing settled 6 on 6 as well as running and gunning on offense.

When CNU is rolling, it's because they're controlling the possession game. Cabaniss is consistently dominant at the faceoff X and CNU rides like hell. If Tufts can create chaos on faceoffs and clear effectively, they can even the playing field here.

It's the defensive side of the ball where CNU is vulnerable. Hanway is a great goalie but has been streaky so far this season. The individual talent on the defense is great--the close D is headlined by Ryan Young and they run 4 or 5 LSM's deep. But they have not played well as a unit so far this season. They rarely get beat for unassisted goals, but they're giving up a lot of goals to quick passing, skip passes, crease feeds, transition, etc. CNU hasn't played an offense anywhere near the caliber of Tufts so far, so this will challenge them a lot. This one could be a shootout.

CNU also has a trend of starting games slow. Paired with the weather, the midweek travel, and how fired up Tufts will come out to defend their turf, I wouldn't be surprised to see this trend continue.

This could be the best game of the season so far--very excited to see these two teams slug it out! If I'm betting, I'm betting on Tufts at home. But mostly hoping this will be a great game and a growth opportunity for both teams. I'm hoping to see CNU get over the Salisbury hump this year, and I'm hoping to see Tufts answer all the doubters that think they're the third best team in the NESCAC after losing a few guys. Would love to see a Memorial Day rematch between these two.