After losing to Wesleyan University on Oct. 10, the field hockey team tasted sweet revenge when it silenced the Cardinals in a 2-1 double overtime playoff match Tuesday afternoon. The team's third consecutive double overtime match advances the squad to the semifinals, a feat that did not seem feasible just a few short weeks ago. When the squad originally faced Wesleyan, it sported a 5-5 overall record, with three of the most difficult Division III teams in the country left on its schedule. Now, with resounding confidence and four more wins under their belt, the Jumbos travel to Brunswick, ME, for a date with the third-ranked team in the nation - Bowdoin College.
"We are extremely excited," junior Lindsay Lionetti said. "We're playing well and finally getting the breaks that we've been looking for all season."
In the first 35 minutes of play on Tuesday afternoon, the two teams waged a scoreless battle. The Jumbos fell behind in the second frame when Cardinal Jenna Flateman put one away with 13:05 left in regulation play. Junior Christina Orf scored the equalizer off an assist from junior Barbara Szajda with just five minutes left in the game to force the match into overtime minutes. After a scoreless first overtime, freshman Brooke Christian waited until 41 seconds remained in the second extra period before netting the winning goal, breaking the 1-1 tie and winning the game for Tufts. The goal was the rookie's third of the season.
"I'm really impressed with Brooke," said Lionetti, who fed Christian with her winning pass. "She's stepped it up when we've needed her and has gotten some key goals."
Senior goalkeeper Dena Sloan continued to dazzle in the net, as she stopped 12 shots on the afternoon.
Saturday morning, the Jumbos aim for a repeat performance of last year's upset. In the ECAC Tournament last year, the eighth-ranked Tufts squad knocked off top-ranked Bates College. Tufts entered the tournament three spots higher this season, and hopes to do similar damage to Bowdoin. The number-one seed Polar Bears went 8-1 in regular season NESCAC play, and beat the Jumbos 2-1 on Oct. 7.
"I think we are in a great position," Lionetti said. "I'd much rather be the underdog in this scenario. Having lost to them in the regular season, we are going to go out there with more intensity. If we had beaten them in the regular season, I'd be a little worried."
In the previous contest, Lionetti scored the lone goal in a close 2-1 match, one which was tarnished by questionable officiating. Orf had also scored a goal in the match that was discounted by officials, but shown as fair play on videotape.
"They are definitely not a better team than we are," junior Liesl Bradford said. "It will definitely be a close one, but I feel like we are really on top of our game and prepared for them."
"The game that we lost to them in was a little unfair," Lionetti said. "But that's behind us now. This is an entirely new game and an entirely new chance to beat them."
The victor of Saturday's match will move to the final round on Sunday, facing the winner of the Amherst vs. Williams match. The road will get no easier for the Jumbos, as the winner of the NESCAC Tournament will get a spot in the NCAAs.
