The women's soccer team begins the season with high hopes after a disappointing 2001 campaign. Following a spectacular 2000 season, which saw the Jumbos reach the finals of the NCAA tournament, last year's squad stumbled, finishing with an 8-6 regular-season mark, and a first round lost to Amherst in the NESCAC tournament.
"Last year, we had a good team, but we couldn't quite get it done when we needed to," Whiting said. "There were a couple situations where we had mental lapses, and lost the game in the final minutes."
A former all-star goalie for the Jumbos, Whiting has already added to the success of a program that has seen just one losing season in its 22-year history, posting a 35-16-2 (.679) record in her first three years. As she begins her fourth year at the helm, she remains confident in her team's ability to bounce back and put together another strong season.
"Last year will be a good building year for this year," Whiting said. "Mentally, we'll be tougher, and we should be able to come through a little bit better in those tougher situations. We've got such a great group coming back that I've been excited for a while."
But in order to approach the 2000 team's success, the squad will have to overcome the loss of a talented and deep graduated class. Of the six players gone from the Hill, five were regular starters, and all played major roles both on and off the field.
"We relied heavily upon those guys all last year," Whiting said. "And even since they were freshmen they've been a big part of the squad."
The team will look to its new co-captains, midfielder Alle Sharlip and defensive back Cara Glassanos, to help fill in the gap left by the departed seniors.
"So far Alle and Cara have been tremendous leaders," Whiting said. "They, along with the other seniors, are going to provide great, great leadership. And as the years go by, I realize just how important that is to the team. There's a direct link between the leadership you have and how successful you can be.
Whiting expects big things from Sharlip, the team's attacking center midfielder who is currently the team's second-leading scorer, with five goals and six assists in 51 career games. Glassanos anchors the defense, and has also contributed three goals and an assist in her career.
"Cara is a great leader out of the back," Whiting said. "She communicates very well, and is able to direct not only her back four but also the players in front of her. Just having her there in that central position will make everyone around her more confident."
Whiting also helped prepare her team for the seniors' graduation by making sure to get her strong group of freshmen the experience they would need to step up into feature roles this year. Of the eight entering sophomores, the six position players all saw significant playing time last season, contributing a combined six goals and four assists.
In addition, goalkeeper Meg McCourt played in two games last year, posting a shutout against Wesleyan in her first collegiate start, while Jess Gluck saw time in the net for the junior varsity squad.
"It's a nice transition for them to now be sophomores and have a year under their belts. All eight are so much more confident than they were last year. Even though we're losing a big class, we have strong juniors and sophomores to fill the gap."
With the graduation of goalkeeper Mara Schanfield, McCourt and Gluck will compete for time in goal. Although Whiting is still unsure who will get the starting nod when the season opens, she is confident that either will be able to handle the position.
"Right now, they're both a little bit hobbled with nagging ankle injuries. But from what I saw when they were able to get out there and really go hard, it'll be a good competition between the two," Whiting said. "They both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but I feel like with either one we'll be strong."
But the biggest shoes the Jumbos will have to fill this year are those of Lynn Cooper, Tufts' second all-time leading scorer. The forward finished with 85 points on 34 goals and 17 assists, and also provided the team with senior leadership.
With Cooper's departure, junior forward Jess Trombly assumes the role of the team's leading active scorer, with ten goals and ten assists. Starting up front with Trombly will be fellow junior Becca Doigan, who missed most of the 2001 season with an ankle injury. She has three goals and an assist in her collegiate career.
"Both of those guys came back so fit after working hard all summer," Whiting said of her starting forwards. "No doubt we're going to miss Coop a lot - she's one of the best scorers we've had in years - but last year with Becca hurt, we lost a whole dimension from the striker's perspective. This year we've lost Coop, but now we have Becca back strong, fit, and ready to play. She and Trombly will be a great pair up front."
Sophomores Lindsey Wolejko and Becky Greenstein will also see time up front, as will incoming freshmen Sarah Callaghan and Ali Blaufarb, and Jen Baldwin, a sophomore transfer from Johns Hopkins. Greenstein finished tied for the lead in goals scored last season, with four.
"We can keep our strikers fresh now," Whiting said of her new-found depth at forward. "Last year we had to rely on certain people at striker even when they were dead tired."
Joining Sharlip in the midfield are seniors Brenna O'Rourke and Elizabeth Tooley, O'Rourke at defensive center-mid and Tooley on one of the wings.
Sophomores Sarah Gelb and Greenstein will see time opposite Tooley. Freshmen Michelle Gauvin and Lydia Claudio will give the Jumbos depth at center-mid, while Baldwin and Blaufarb may also get in minutes in the midfield.
On defense, Tufts will return to a flat-back four alignment, a system they abandoned last year but which led them to their NCAA Tournament runs in 1998 and 2000. The Jumbos switched to a more traditional defensive setup last season because it was easier for newer players.
"I think [the flat back] is a better way to defend. It's very hard to play through," Whiting said. "We weren't ready last year because we were so young. A third of our team was new, and if you have a new group, it's not such an easy thing to teach. But we're ready this year. We did it the other day in practice and it's looking pretty tight already."
Along with Glassanos, juniors Jess Lovitz and Abby Herzberg and sophomores Catherine Benedict and Alina Schmidt will all see time on defense. Freshmen Ariel Samuelson and Lindsay Garmirian will also be worked into the mix.
"We don't really have a need for a freshman to start anywhere on the field, which is a nice position to be in," Whiting said. "It takes pressure off of those freshmen. You don't want to have to step in right away and be a big star."
The Jumbos open their season Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Gordon. The Fighting Scots finished last year with a 14-5 record, outscoring their opponents by a 52-12 margin. But the Jumbos have put together an impressive winning streak against Gordon, including three shutouts in the last four years. Even so, Whiting is never one to take an opponent lightly, but she is anxious to see what her new team has to offer.
"Gordon always gives us a good game, especially when we go up there," she said. "They're a tough team at home, and coming into the season, you don't know what to expect the first game. You have an idea, but you don't know until you really see them out there against another team.
