This year's field hockey team is playing atop a new field and under a new head coach, and it looks to translate these changes into more wins in an intensely competitive NESCAC conference.
Tina McDavitt takes over the coaching duties this year, relieving Carol Rappoli, who had coached both field hockey and women's lacrosse at Tufts. Rappoli remains the lacrosse head coach and will stay on as the field hockey assistant.
McDavitt is a member of the U.S. field hockey national indoor squad that is aiming to qualify for the World Cup in 2006. She was hired right out of college in 2000 as the assistant at Holy Cross under Meg Galligan, the winningest coach in the history of the Crusader program.
At BU, McDavitt was a four-year standout and captain of the 1999 team. She led the Terriers to an undefeated America East championship and a No. 13 ranking nationwide that season.
The team's new field is constructed with the latest generation of artificial turf, and is located across the street from Cousens Gymnasium. John and Nancy Bello made a naming donation of $1.8 million, and Bello Field will play host to the field hockey team's home games this year.
Last year, Tufts finished 5-10 overall and with a 3-6 record in the NESCAC. Despite the mediocre record, eight of the team's ten defeats came by two goals or less, so it's not hard to imagine a team that could have gone 9-6 (6-3, NESCAC). Those close games included a 2-1 overtime loss to national runner-up Middlebury College.
Look for the new turf field to have a big impact on the style and speed of the team's play.
"With the new field the game gets that much faster," McDavitt said. "Stick skills and passing become more important. We've had to work on trying not to just hit and chase, which is what you do in a grass game, but more on passing and possession skills instead."
While on younger teams these changes might be jolting, the Jumbos feature a slew of 19 returning lettermen to make the conversion to a more finessed turf-style team.
The team graduated only three seniors last year, and it retains its biggest impact players. This group is led by junior tri-captain and leading scorer Lea Napolitano. Napolitano led the Jumbos in goals and assists last year and was selected as All-NESCAC and All-Region picks last fall.
Senior Dana Panzer and junior Jeanne Grabowski join Napolitano as captains, and all three have made an impression on McDavitt.
"The captains have been impressive so far," McDavitt said. "They came in [to the preseason] in excellent shape and with really positive attitudes."
Junior Erica Goodwin and sophomore Tracey Rittenour should emerge as serious scoring threats to join Napolitano, and the defense will be held down by senior Jayme Heller, an All-NESCAC pick in 2002.
In goal, McDavitt has two sophomores from which she can choose. Marilyn Duffy-Cabana and Angela Rappoli played behind last year's senior keeper Julie Jackson, but both managed to log over 200 minutes of play and 1-1 records in 2003.
This group of returners will be joined by five freshmen.
"All five of them are very strong players," Panzer said. "They all should make contributions to the team."
It will be the veterans though, who are charged with moving all those close losses to the win column.
Napolitano thinks the turf will aid in this effort.
"I think the turf is a great advantage for us," the tri-captain said. "It's a huge improvement from our grass field last season. This week of double sessions gave us all a chance to get accustomed to it and since it's a different surface from what a lot of the other NESCAC teams play on I think we will have a big home-field advantage."
The team has worked hard during the preseason to get over that "lose by one late in the game" hump. McDavitt extended preseason practices by a half hour and included more running in order to be more fit for the last five minutes of those close games. The team has worked hard on penalty corners as well.
"My expectations are high," McDavitt said. "We don't have any superstars, but we have a lot of depth and great work ethic and we work really well as a team."
"Coach and the players are feeding off each other real well," added Panzer. "Everyone's hungry and wants to win."
Last year, the Jumbos were a team on the cusp of rising to the NESCAC elite that just didn't quite get there. In 2004 a new field, a new coach, and a deep core of returning talent may push them over the top.
The Jumbos kick off their season on Sept. 11 against Colby on their new field.
