In a season filled with streaks and quirks, the Jumbo women's lacrosse team won its last game to keep its season record in the black.
By dropping Babson 15-5 away from Medford for its final game of the season on April 27, Tufts improved its overall record to 7-7, refusing to be the first team in years to finish below the .500 mark. The Jumbos finished 3-6 in the NESCAC.
"We [were] young this year," coach Carol Rappoli said. "This team can do it in the future; we've had some games this year that we should've won, and it shows what we're capable of."
In the future, however, Tufts will have to do it without its three graduating seniors. Defender Christie Langenberg, attack Kristin Saldarelli, and midfielder Lauren Peach have all played their final games in Jumbo uniforms.
And while Tufts is fortunate that there are few players lost, there will still remain a void for next season's team to fill.
"We're going to miss [the seniors] next year," Rappoli said. "They were a force for us this year, all very dominating."
Langenberg, Saldarelli, and Peach each started every game they played this season, with Saldarelli and Peach starting all 14 games this year. Langenberg wasn't far behind, playing in 13.
Furthermore, this season Saldarelli and Peach ranked fifth and sixth respectively in individual scoring for the Jumbos, combining for 38 points.
For her role, Langenberg played tough defense the entire season and was fourth on the team in ground balls, picking up 39.
Next season, the Jumbos will be looking to improve consistency, as the talented team started the season 4-0 yet only managed a 3-7 record over its final ten games.
During the course of the year, the Jumbos rode out two three-game losing streaks, and also fell to Connecticut College (2-7 NESCAC), who earned only their second conference win at the expense of Tufts.
Despite the bumpy ride, however, next season the Jumbos should be better prepared to face the competition.
Midfielder Willow Hagge, who will be a fifth year museum-school student but is still eligible to play because she did not play her first year at Tufts, will look to continue her dominance on the field for the Jumbos.
Hagge is currently the team's career leader in goals (81) and points (111), and found the back of the net 21 times this season for Tufts, good for third on the team.
In addition, 13 members of the team are either rising sophomores or juniors, all having gained valuable experience with at least a season under their belts, yet all still with at least two years of eligibility left.
Hoping to establish some solidity with the returning group of players is Rappoli, who herself is now able to dedicate more time to lacrosse.
Rappoli, who until recently had been the dual head coach of both women's lacrosse and the field hockey team, now has a diminished role with field hockey as an assistant coach, which will allow her to focus more time on lacrosse.
"I can focus more on recruiting, and will be able to attend far more [lacrosse] player exhibitions and camps," Rappoli said. "Of course this benefits the lacrosse program."
