The women's soccer team's 2001 season came to an early end yesterday after a 3-1 loss to Amherst in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament. The loss was the second of the weekend for the Jumbos, who fell to the undefeated Williams Ephs 3-2 on Saturday.
Tufts closes out its season at 8-7, including a 5-4 conference record.
"It's hard to lose," coach Martha Whiting said. "We wanted to win, but it's sad more because it's over, and we just like playing together. We're sad not to be able to see each other every day."
Sunday's game started off well for the Jumbos, as junior Elizabeth Tooley notched her third goal of the year in the third minute when she chipped the ball past Amherst keeper Brooke Diamond.
But Tufts did not hold the edge for long, as the Jeffs answered with a goal of their own just two minutes later. Senior tri-captain Cathy Poor pounded a shot off the crossbar, and freshman Tracy Montigny was there to put in the rebound to tie the game at one.
The teams remained deadlocked at one for nearly 60 minutes, as play shifted back-and-forth across the field. In the 62nd minute, Amherst inserted freshman striker Lee-Jay Henry, who scored the game-winner against the Jumbos in the regular-season match-up, to boost their offensive firepower.
The speedy rookie played the role of Jumbo-killer yet again, finding the net twice within three minutes of entering the game. Montigny assisted both of Henry's goals, which came just 69 seconds apart. Henry and Montigny are tied for second behind Poor as the team's leading scorers.
"She doesn't have a lot of skill, but she's really strong, very fast, and very athletic, and she just busted away from our defenders," Whiting said of Henry. "And to be honest, our defenders were a little beat up."
Tufts played much of the game without sophomore back Abby Herzberg, who came out bothered by a groin injury. Junior Cara Glassanos, who had missed the previous two games with a shin injury, came in for Herzberg. Freshman Catherine Benedict played a strong game despite a pulled hamstring.
Down 3-1, the Jumbos stepped up their attack for the remainder of the game but could not crack through the Jeff defense.
"It was one of those games that's just a battle. I looked at the clock with about eight minutes left, and I thought that we still had a chance to get back in it," Whiting said. "We were getting chances, and we pressured them a lot, but it just wasn't meant to be."
Despite the loss, Whiting was proud of her team's play, especially that of the six seniors.
"It was a great game," Whiting said. "The seniors played their hearts out. They were just phenomenal. It was like they were possessed."
With the win, Amherst improved to 9-4-1 and moves on to face the Middlebury Panthers next Saturday at Williams. The Panthers beat Trinity twice last weekend to advance to the second round, while Bowdoin topped Bates 3-0 in the third game and will face Williams.
In Tufts' Saturday game against Williams, the Ephs jumped out to an early lead in by converting on a breakaway in the 14th minute. Senior Marlene Bonasera took a pass in the middle of the field from sophomore back Kristen Van Woert, raced through the Tufts defense and sent a shot in off the left post.
Tufts did not suffer a letdown after the goal, however, instead charging back down the field and evening the score a mere 27 seconds later. Sophomore Jess Trombly sent a pass back from the end line to senior Becky Mann, who fired the ball at the goal. Williams keeper Abigail Jackson blocked the shot but sent the rebound to Jumbo midfielder Elizabeth Tooley. Tooley slipped a pass to senior co-captain Lynn Cooper in the middle of the box, and she fired it home to tie the game at one.
"At the beginning, I thought they felt as though they were just going to come out and beat us," Whiting said. "And then I think they realized that they had to work to beat us."
The two teams fought back and forth through the remainder of the period, with each putting together strong attacks but neither able to capitalize. The story remained the same through much of the second half, as the defenses held strong despite continued pressure from both sides.
Schanfield made a number of great saves in net for the Jumbos to keep the score even, earning praise from her coach and teammates.
"Mara was phenomenal today," Whiting said. "She kept us in the game at certain points. She was very confident today, coming out for balls, calling for it, directing her defense. I could just feel the confidence coming off of her."
The Jumbos finally broke the scoreboard silence in the 73rd minute. A Tufts player was fouled near the Ephs' end line, which resulted in a free kick that played like a short corner. Junior Alle Sharlip sent a chip shot over the Williams keeper to the far post, where classmate Brenna O'Rourke was there to head it in, giving Tufts a 2-1 lead.
"It was one of our better games," Cooper said. "It felt good. It was a good, clean, hard game."
Tufts kept up the pressure following the goal and threatened to add to the lead. But it was the Ephs who struck next, as junior Stacey Starner received a header in the box from Van Woert with just under ten minutes to play. Narrowly escaping an offsides call, she stepped forward and sent the ball past a diving Schanfield into the lower right corner of the net to tie the game once more.
The Jumbos pulled together after the goal, and with both teams refusing to budge and the clock winding down, the game seemed destined for overtime. But with 30 seconds left, Williams had another break go its way.
Freshman Emily Driscoll got a piece of a Tufts attempt to clear the ball from its box and sent it up into the air. Forward Lindsey Dwyer caught the ball on the way down, and headed it to sophomore Claire Samuel on the left side. Samuel placed a shot into the upper right corner to give Williams a 3-2 edge with just 24 seconds remaining.
"Everyone hates to lose, but I feel worse for the players right now, because I know how hard they fought," Whiting said. "I watched them for 90 minutes just work their hearts out. I feel bad it had to go this way for them, because they really did such a great, great job, and I'm just so proud of the way that they played."
With the win, Williams improved to 13-0 on the year, cementing its perfect regular season mark. As the number-one seed in the conference tournament, the Ephs got Sunday off, and will host the semi-final and final rounds next weekend.
"Sometimes a team has a year, and I think maybe it's their year," Whiting said. "Certain things went their way. They had a call that could have gone either way on the offsides on the second goal. But we definitely battled. It just wasn't meant to be."
