Three years ago, when the NCAA passed a rule change that would introduce a 90-second possession clock to Division 3 games starting in 2018, it placed no great burden on Tufts and coach Courtney Shute.
It actually was a moment they’d been waiting for.
"I always sort of wanted to play a style that would cater to that, even before the rule was happening," Shute said. "It’s the way we’ve wanted to play for a while now. It’s a fun style to play and a fun style to watch."
The winning’s fun, too.
A middle-of-the-pack team in the NESCAC a year ago, the Jumbos (5-1) were off to a 3-0 start in league play with victories over two of last year’s NCAA tournament teams — Colby and Trinity.
They’re winning games behind a fast-paced attack that’s averaging 15.8 goals a game; in the league, only Bowdoin (16.4) is scoring more per game or taking more shots.