Field Hockey closes season unfulfilled

The field hockey team began this season with the hopes of improving on the dismal 3-10 performance of the year before.

On paper the Jumbo defense had set the team up for a winning season. This team allowed an average of only 1.4 goals per game. Tufts shut out its opponents in four of their 14 competitions. The Jumbo goalies combined for 101 saves, with a season percentage of 83.5%.

It was easy to see how these stats were earned through aggressive play and team work on the field. As an opponent would approach, the team would converge to its circle and defend it successfully against the repeated onslaught of the challengers. In many games, several minutes would pass as the Jumbos scrambled to deny an enemy goal and more often than not, they would succeed in leaving the opponent fruitless in their efforts.

So how does this team finish a season at 4-10, eighth in the league and shut out of the playoffs?

As the season opened, it looked as though the Jumbos were going to improve their record from the previous year and get themselves back into playoff contention. Despite an opening game loss to Bentley, the Jumbos were optimistic. Bentley was the returning Div. II champion and Tufts took it to overtime, losing 1-2.

The optimism grew as the Jumbos took their first win of the season over NESCAC competitor Amherst in the following week, a win that would prove crucial in setting up a potential post-season for the Brown and Blue. The 1-0 victory was catalyzed by superb defense and a goal by sophomore Jennie Sachs.

After their winning effort, the Jumbos fell 1-0 to non-conference team Wellesley in a defensive battle. The winning pattern continued in the NESCAC, however, with a 1-0 win over Connecticut College, their second shutout of the season. The Jumbos suddenly found themselves undefeated in the NESCAC and a playoff picture was coming into focus.

But the competition was only to become more difficult and Tufts was in a precarious situation. While the team had twice triumphed, both of those wins were acquired with only a single Jumbo goal on the board. The teams offensive woes in scoring from the previous year did not look markedly improved. While the defensive effort appeared to be enough to secure wins, the influx of strong offensive teams that would come as the season progressed was a cause for concern.

In fact, after the Connecticut College win, the Jumbos dropped five straight with four new loses to NESCAC opponents. The problem was apparent; Tufts had scored only one goal in all five outings. The games were riddled with missed shots and missed opportunities. There is only so long that a defense can win for the team and in this case the time had run out.

"We worked hard and we wanted to score," senior tri-captain Laura Hacker said. "There really isn't a lot of scoring in the game of field hockey. We changed the lineup and things started to work better for us."

Tufts would acquire only one more NESCAC win, a 1-0 victory over Wesleyan in the highlight of their 2002 season. Accompanied by a stellar defensive effort, Sachs was once again able to tap in a winning shot for her fourth and final goal of the year. She would become the top scorer for the team.

The Jumbos post season future was left undecided until their final game against Colby. Winning this game would have propelled Tufts into the playoffs as they were then tied with Amherst for the seventh and final spot. In a hard-fought battle that was as emotionally draining as it was physically exhausting, Tufts put the lid on their season after two overtimes and extended penalty strokes left them with a 3-2 loss.

"We showed a huge improvement in the second half of our season and I think this is shown in our last game where we played incredibly," Hacker said.

Amherst had beaten Trinity in its must-win situation and will now go on to occupy the coveted seventh seat.

The problem of this team was not in its fight, but in its finish. Looking to next year, the team will be looking to find a way to boost its offensive effort. The Jumbos also must compensate for the impending loss of their senior tri-captains Ursula Stalh, Laura Hacker, and Dana Chivis. They will also be losing goal keeper Lauren Rufino and defender Karyn Moar, both of whom were integral in the successful defense.

"I had a really fun season," Hacker said. "I regret not making it to the playoffs but the team was a lot of fun and definitely made it worth it."