Field hockey earns shut out over Gordon

In the precursor to the game that will determine the fate of its playoff hopes, the field hockey team showed an intensity in yesterday's game against non-conference competitor Gordon that it hopes to duplicate on Saturday. While the Jumbo defense managed to silence the Scots, the offense was busy scoring two goals to give Tufts the shutout and improve its record to 4-9.

Tufts stepped out on the grass yesterday with the intention of controlling the game from beginning to end, and the results mirrored their determination.

"We carried our intensity from the beginning of the game until the end," senior tri-captain Dana Chivvis said. "They were never once on our heels."

While not expecting NESCAC caliber competition from Gordon, the Jumbos overcame many internal problems that they had struggled with all season. One such problem has been scoring, as the team has only scored six goals this season _ never more than one goal per game. Yesterday, however, Tufts had no trouble finding the back of the net, scoring two goals.

Tufts has also struggled this year with intensity, particularly in the first half. Currently Tufts is 0-5 against opponents who have jumped ahead in the first half. Meanwhile, five of the team's six goals so far have been scored in the second half.

The Jumbos made their presence known yesterday early in the first half. With 26:47 on the clock, sophomore Jayme Heller passed to freshman Erika Goodwin, who was then able to convert for her first score as a Jumbo.

"I saw the pass coming and I knew I had to make contact. The ball managed to hit the back of the cage," Goodwin said.

Along with this pass, the Jumbos showed a marked improvement on their passing, particularly after making the transition back to grass from the turf they encountered at Middlebury. Passing inside the circle and shooting were two skills the Jumbos have focused on in practice lately.

Tufts out-shot Gordon 9-8 in the first half, as it held onto the lead behind senior goalie Lauren Rufino's four saves. In the second half, the Jumbos maintained their intensity by scoring a second goal only five minutes into play. Freshman Jeanne Grabowski passed across the circle, finding senior tri-captain Dana Chivvis. Making a clean shot, Chivvis gave the Jumbos a cushioned two-goal lead.

"The pass came right to me," Chivvis said. "It was a perfect setup and the goal was wide open."

That would be the last goal of the game. The defense kept the attacking Scots at bay, forcing junior goalie to make only one save.

"We played really well today as one unit," coach Carol Rappoli said. "Our focus has been to give our five seniors these last two wins at the end of the season as well as a post season."

To make this happen, Tufts must focus on carrying the intensity from yesterday's win into this Saturday's home game against Colby. Currently, the Jumbos sit in a tie for seventh place with Amherst, while Colby holds the sixth place position. The top seven teams make it into the NESCAC playoffs, and with Tufts only one game behind Colby, a win this Saturday would clinch entry into the post season in the sixth place spot.

"We have the ability," Rappoli said. "Our intensity just needs to be this high, that was the real difference" against Gordon.

The team has made its fight to extend its season easier by beating Amherst earlier in the season and therefore a final record tie between theses two teams will go to Tufts. This does not negate the importance of this weekend's game.

The Jumbos are confident in their ability to take down Colby, riding on the confidence of yesterday's win.

"Confidence was the big difference in this game," Chivvis said. "It's always great coming off a win. We'll be ready for Saturday."