The women's lacrosse team suffered another tough setback to a NESCAC opponent on Saturday, dropping a 12-9 contest to Colby College in a home match. The loss keeps the Jumbos winless in the league at 0-5 and brings their overall record below the .500 mark to 4-5.
With four games remaining in the season, all against NESCAC opponents, Tufts will need to perform exceptionally well to qualify for the season-ending league tournament, which only features the top seven teams.
The White Mules came into the game with a 4-2 record, including a 2-3 mark in the league. Entering the contest with a season-high, three-game winning streak, Colby was among the hottest teams in the NESCAC. The Jumbos, on the other hand, were in the midst of a two-game losing streak. The only consolation was that the losses came at the hands of two of the best teams in the league and the country: Williams and Middlebury.
Throughout much of the season, inconsistent play has plagued the Jumbos during particular stretches and the Colby game was another example of that. After the White Mules managed a 7-4 lead at halftime, Tufts responded quickly in the second half to tie the score at seven on goals by a trio of sophomores. Erin Hyde, Lauren Peach, and Kristin Saldarelli all tallied goals in the first ten minutes of the final period.
"I think that everyone fought hard during the game. Colby is always a tough matchup," Hyde said.
However, Colby soon responded with a run of its own, scoring five unanswered goals in the middle of the second half. Though the Jumbos were able to respond with two late goals, the five-goal margin proved too much to overcome.
"Colby won some draws and was able to get that quick succession of goals. We needed to front them better defensively and deny the pass," Hyde said.
Tufts was once again thwarted in its attempt to get that elusive first league win as it suffered a lapse in play at a crucial juncture in the game.
"I think our team needs to keep the intensity and the composure that we showed when we made our run and tied the game at 7-7," Hyde said. "We were using our break situations well and keeping possession of the ball. There are times in games when we have lulls in our intensity and the NESCAC is such a competitive league. We cannot afford to have those lulls."
In order to break out of the mid-season slump, Coach Carol Rappoli's team must put together a consistent effort for the entire game.
"We truly believe that each game our intensity has been improving," Hyde said. "We just need to continue to step it up and move from being a competitive team to a winning team."
Tufts will face Wesleyan, one of the surprise teams in the league this season, on Thursday in an important contest that could help determine whether they will qualify for the postseason. Despite the recent struggles, the Jumbos remain confident.
"We have not hung our heads after any game and I think we have a great chance for a win against Wesleyan," Hyde said. "We have nothing to lose and with each game we have been getting better. Our seniors, Liz Horowitz and Samantha Snitow, have kept us focused for every game. If we play with heart and we play as a team, I know we can win."
