The women's lacrosse team will look to jump back into the NESCAC playoff picture this weekend, when it hosts conference rival Colby on Saturday. The Jumbos (4-4 overall, 0-4 NESCAC), who currently sit in ninth place in the NESCAC, desperately need a win against the White Mules (3-3, 2-3), in order to keep within striking distance of the seventh and final playoff spot.
"The Colby game is going to be huge for us, because this is where the second half of our conference season starts," senior defender Samantha Snitow said. "And we really need to step it up and start it off with a win. We're as back to full strength as were going to be without Christina [Orf], so now we can really play our game."
After starting out the season 3-0, coach Carol Rappoli's squad has lost four of its last five games, all against conference opponents. Overall, Tufts has been outscored 43-26 by NESCAC foes, while holding a 48-21 advantage against non-conference opponents. And their final games of the regular season will all be played against a quintet of NESCAC opponents: Colby, Wesleyan, Bates, Amherst and Connectiuct College.
"Our attack is very young, we only have two returning starters," Snitow said. "We've been spending a lot of time working on taking the shots when we have them and making them good shots as well. We just have to make sure that we get the ball in the net."
Although Saturday's contest is somewhat of a step down from Tufts' recent games against conference powerhouses like Williams and Middlebury, the White Mules will take the field on the heels of back-to-back conference wins over Bates (13-11, OT) and Trinity (9-5).
Colby will have revenge on the mind, however, as they look to avenge their two losses to the Jumbos last year - during the regular season and in the NESCAC Tournament. After knocking off the White Mules 10-5 earlier in the season, Tufts was edged by Colby in opening round of the NESCAC Tournament, 14-13. But then the third-seeded Jumbos played spoiler in the ECAC Tournament with a 7-6 win over their second seeded counterparts, who finished the season ranked 20th in the nation. The win also marked the third time in the team's last four meetings where the outcome was decided by just a single tally.
"There's a very intense rivalry between our two teams and we don't like each other very much," Snitow said. "Every year is a fight to the end, especially when we play them more than once in a season. It's always a 50-50 game."
Colby is led by a trio of senior captains, Marcia Ingraham, Shannon Murphy, and Whitney Pierce, as well as junior goaltender Anna Schierbal Scherr, who ranks among the NESCAC leaders with a .611 save percentage. Ingraham scored eight goals and collected three assists last week, to spur her team to its wins over Bates and Trinity.
Tufts, which has qualified for postseason play in each of the last ten seasons, will look to the sophomore duo of Kristin Saldarelli (25 points) and Willow Hagge (22) to carry the offensive load on Saturday.
Junior goaltender Ari Kristan, who boasts an 8.25 save percentage, will anchor the Jumbo defense along with Snitow, junior Kathy Kenny, and sophomore Lauren Peach. Peach has also proven that she can contribute on the offensive end, ranking third in scoring with 17 points to date.
"The defense has been playing good, but it hasn't been playing great," Snitow said. "But it's not just the defense, the offense, or the midfield that needs to step it up, it's the whole team that needs to come together."
The two teams will face off at 1 p.m. on Loebs Field, as the Jumbos officially head into the pivotal chapter of their season.
