Jumbos, unable to score, fall to Bates

The women's field hockey team (2-4, 2-1) battled it out in its Homecoming game on Saturday against Bates. It was a hard fought match, but Tufts came out on the losing end of a 1-0 decision. This was the team's first loss to a NESCAC opponent this season.

The game pitted two strong defensive teams against one another, thought Bates eventually got the upper hand. The only goal of the game was scored in the first half, with 26:24 left on the clock, as Johie Farrar of Bates made a clean, cross-cage pass to teammate Julia Price, who was able to convert for the only goal of the game.

The Bobcats dominated the first half of the game, as the Jumbos had difficulty getting the ball across the midfield. The defense had their work cut out for them as the Bobcats challenged several times. The numbers reflected the pace of the game _ Bates had four shot attempts and nine penalty corners. Meanwhile, Tufts was held to only one shot attempt.

The Jumbos rallied during the break and came back in the second frame with a new intensity. They were able to move the ball better, and spent a majority of the time in Bates territory.

"We stepped it up in the second half," freshman midfielder Jeanne Grabowski said. "We played strong at the end, but unfortunately there wasn't enough time to finish it."

Freshman midfielder Lea Napolitano was able to take the ball down the field to set up an attack several times, sidestepping Bates defenders with good ball handling and well-timed passes.

"It was a physical game," Napolitano said. "Bates is a really good defensive team and it was hard to penetrate. We needed to do more passing."

While the Jumbos were more in control during the second half, they were, nevertheless, still unable to get the ball between the posts. The Bates defense fought to keep Tufts away from the box, and the match-up between Grabowski and Bates senior Kathrene Tiffany was especially physical.

"I had to keep a tight mark on her," Grabowski said.

Grabowski and other members of the squad did a solid job of keeping on top of the ball, but it was still difficult for the attackers to find their shots, notching only three attempts. Tufts has struggled this season to finish its drives and this game proved to be no exception.

The Jumbos had a couple of opportunities to tie late in the second half, including back-to-back penalty corners with about five minutes left in the game. Unfortunately for Tufts, the team was unable to find the back of the net.

"We carried more of the play in the second half, but we were unable to finish plays," coach Carol Rappoli said. "We had two great opportunities, but we were unable to score. It was disappointing."

Despite the loss, the Jumbos defense remained strong, at it held Bates to only one goal and essentially shut down the Bobcats during the second half. Bates had only one breakaway, which was quelled when defenders sophomore Jayme Heller, senior Ursula Stahl, and junior Kelly Sarson all converged to dig the ball out of danger, sending it back across the midline.

Bates was held to only one shot attempt and two fruitless penalty corners. The Jumbo's ability to defend their goal has become vital, due to the team's scoring difficulty.

The story was no different at Wheaton last Thursday afternoon. Again the Jumbos were held scoreless. However, the team was able to hold Wheaton to only one goal, scored on an unassisted breakaway by Wheaton senior Katherine Sciolto. The Jumbo offense was slow to come on, as it was held to only two shot attempts in the first half. They came on strong in the second half, however, with seven shot attempts and seven penalty corners.

This week, Tufts will play away at Babson (4-4) on Thursday, followed by a Saturday away game against Bowdoin (5-1).