The women's lacrosse team (7-5, 3-5) took one more step toward earning a berth in the NESCAC playoffs on Wednesday with a convincing 14-4 dismantling of the Wesleyan Cardinals (3-9, 0-8). This was the Jumbos' third victory in the their last four games, and their second in a row.
The team entered the game with the goal of establishing itself early on and taking control of the pace of the game. Fueled by senior co-captain Jen Gregorian's six goals, Tufts accomplished its goal, asserting its offensive prowess by taking a 3-1 lead ten minutes into the first half.
The Jumbos then exploded for three goals in the next 35 seconds, taking control of the game with a 6-1 lead. Wesleyan was able cut the lead to 6-2 on a free-position goal, but this was as close as the Cardinals would get. Tufts went on to score three more goals in the closing minutes of the first period to head into halftime with a commanding 9-2 lead.
In the second half of play, the Jumbo defense took control of the game, holding the Cardinals scoreless until the final four minutes of the game. Tufts added five more goals in the second half for insurance, to run away with a 14-4 victory.
Aside from Gregorian's six-goal outburst, the team received significant production from four other players. Senior Katie Richardson netted three goals, while sophomore Dana Chivvis and junior Christina Orf scored two goals each. Junior Liz Horowitz capped off the scoring with her 14th goal of the season.
"We played very well, especially defensively," coach Carol Rappoli said. "We really had the game in hand from the very beginning."
The sizeable lead allowed for playing time for several lesser-used players to pick up significant playing time. Junior backup up goaltender Sarah Crane contributed two saves in relief of sophomore Ari Kristen, who made five stops in the effort.
"We got everyone valuable minutes," Rappoli said. "That will be helpful for games down the road."
Whether or not there will be games down the road rests primarily on the outcome of Tufts' match-up against Connecticut College on Saturday.
"We need to win," Rappoli said. "We're in control of our own destiny right now."
The team foresees a competitive match against the Camels, who, like the Jumbos, sport a 3-5 record in the NESCAC. Although Tufts had little trouble in Wednesday's competition, the team will look to improve on a number of things that went wrong in the game.
"Connecticut College will be better than Wesleyan," Rappoli said. "We need to take care of the ball better, and we need to know what to do when we have a lead in a game."
A victory on Saturday would secure a berth in the NESCAC playoffs, and Tufts will be carrying a great deal of momentum into the competition. The Jumbos have won three of their last four games, with their only loss in the form of a close 9-8 loss to Amherst, the second ranked team in the nation. But nobody is taking anything for granted. "I'm no more confident [about making the playoffs] than I was two weeks ago," Rappoli said. "We knew then that we had to win all of our remaining games, and that's still what we have to do."
But the Jumbos' position, Rappoli feels, is a better one than they were in two weeks ago.
"I'm not more confident," she said, "but I like our position a lot better than some of the other teams."
