The women's field hockey team bounced back from Saturday's crushing loss to defeat the Gordon Fighting Scots 5-1 on Tuesday afternoon. The win brought the team's record to 3-1 and improved morale as well.
Determined to avoid a repeat of their 7-1 loss against Middlebury, the Jumbos entered the game with intensity and focus. They held the Fighting Scots, who started the day with an undefeated record of 5-0, scoreless throughout most of the game.
Coach Tina McDavitt, thankful to be back on the Jumbos' home turf, attributed the win to the team's positive attitude, desire to win, and ability to step up under pressure.
"Saturday was a tough loss, so the team was fired up for this game," McDavitt said. "We came to play today. The girls came out with a good attitude and really went after the win, and it was a true test of their character to see how they went into this game."
The Jumbos' offense picked up a single goal in the first half by junior tri-captain Lea Napolitano, but really turned up the heat in the second half when it broke up a close game by putting three in the net during the last five minutes of the game. The five total goals were the most Tufts has scored in a single game since a 5-4 win at Bates on Sept. 29, 2001.
Senior tri-captain Dana Panzer has been on a hot streak this season, and Tuesday was no exception. She contributed two goals and an assist, all in the second half. Panzer, despite not having scored a single goal last season, already leads the team with four goals and three assists for 11 points in four games.
"Dana's a true leader on the field," McDavitt said. "She's the kind of player that steps up when we need someone. She's got great skill and she loves pressure. Dana wants to score and she will."
Both of Panzer's goals were off penalty corner passes from Napolitano and stretched the Jumbos' lead from 2-1 to 4-1. Napolitano scored the Jumbos' first goal off senior Jennie Sachs' assist, while Sachs put one in the net six minutes into the second half, off an assist by sophomore Tracy Rittenour. Finally, Rittenour capped the scoring with a goal in the last second of the game off a corner pass from Panzer.
The Fighting Scots threatened the Jumbos' lead in the second half when they earned eight penalty corner opportunities in rapid succession. However, they failed to capitalize on these opportunities, and Gordon remained scoreless until junior Brittany Nanni scored the Fighting Scots' lone goal with only 15 minutes left in the game.
"We were able to pass around them; we were faster than them," Panzer said. "We were just better. We were more aggressive and played good defense."
The Jumbos' strong defense effectively thwarted Gordon's scoring attempts. The tough defensive play on the field limited Gordon's shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Marilyn Duffy-Cabana earned the victory with only one save in the first half, and when Angela Rappoli took over the cage for the second half, she only had to stop two shots.
Gordon freshman goalkeeper Kendra Davis had a harder time dealing with the aggressive Tufts offense. In addition to letting five into the net, she finished with seven saves, including six in the second half. The Jumbos relentlessly pressured the Fighting Scots as Panzer, Sachs, Napolitano, and Rittenour all racked up multiple points.
"Gordon's a good team, but the whole game we were the better team," McDavitt said of the team's aggressive offensive display. "We didn't let up."
The Jumbos will travel to Amherst this weekend to take on the Lord Jeffs, who are currently 1-1, but coming off of a strong 2003 season. Amherst defeated Tufts 1-0 the last time the two teams met. A Tufts victory on Saturday would show that the Jumbos, currently 0-1 on the road, can win on and off of their home field.
Coach McDavitt, for one, is eagerly anticipating the rest of the season.
"I'm excited," she said. "We do have things we need to improve on, but the team has a lot of potential. I can't wait to see where we go."
