It was not a season that ended with a championship. But you can't judge a team by its last game, and such is the case with the 2004 field hockey team.
The Jumbos entered this season ready for success and motivated by the changes that occurred in their program, including the reception of brand new astroturf Bello Field and the addition of a new coach, Tina McDavitt. Previous head coach Carol Rappoli stepped down to the assistant position.
In an interview before the start of the season, McDavitt declared that her goals were to be one of the competitive teams in the league, to be at the top of the NESCAC, and to have a record above .500.
These ambitious aspirations proved achievable for the Jumbos. The team finished 10-6 overall, 5-4 NESCAC. Tufts' NESCAC record stayed below the .500 mark for the first few conference games of the season, but the Jumbos were able to rack up more wins than losses in the second half and finished the season with a winning conference record.
The Jumbos saw tough competition in NESCAC.
Middlebury remained undefeated until it was upset by Williams in the championship game of the NESCAC tournament, and finished the season ranked first in the league.
Bowdoin, Williams, and Wesleyan finished the season tied in second place. Although Williams knocked out Tufts in the semi-final round of the tournament, the Jumbos defeated both Williams and Wesleyan in the regular season and lost to Bowdoin by only one goal.
"Beating Williams and Wesleyan," said McDavitt of her favorite memories of the season. "Everyone was saying they were going to be such tough games, and then we go out there and beat them. I knew we could beat them, and to do it was just such an awesome thing."
Tufts finished behind the three-way second place tie in fifth place. This may not qualify as leading the NESCAC, but the Jumbos held their own against stiff competition and challenged the rankings more than once throughout the season.
The season started on a high note with an exhilarating overtime win over Colby. After suffering two consecutive shutout losses in September to Bowdoin and Bentley, the Jumbos enjoyed several high points in the second half of their season.
Tufts flattened its competition repeatedly, earning five shutout wins in October and November, one of which was a postseason tournament game against Wesleyan.
The Jumbos defeated Williams, now the NESCAC champions, for the first time since 2000. Tufts lost the chance to host the first-round tournament game, however, when it was beaten by the Connecticut College Camels, ranked last in the NESCAC, in its last regular season game.
The Jumbos, who initially had problems adjusting to other grass surfaces at away games, proved they could win a clutch game off their own turf when they defeated host Wesleyan in the first round of the NESCAC tournament.
The team made it further into postseason play this season than it had in the previous three years.
"There was a big improvement from last year," junior tri-captain Lea Napolitano said. "Overall, I think this is the best team I've played on since I've been at Tufts."
Napolitano was joined by classmate junior Jeanne Grabowski and senior Dana Panzer as the captains and leaders of the squad.
Tufts' dynamic offense proved to be too much for many opponents to handle. The Jumbos scored 32 goals in 16 games, while their opponents scored only 20.
Panzer led the team with a tremendous season, capped by such achievements as being named NESCAC player of the week, setting a new Tufts record for points scored in a single season, and being selected to play in the Division III North/South Senior All-Star Game.
Panzer scored 12 goals, racked up nine assists, and took 105 shots. Napolitano, with six goals and five assists, was another key component of the team's offensive success. Grabowski contributed three goals and two assists.
Senior Jennie Sachs and freshman Illeana Katz each put two goals in the net, and seven other Jumbos contributed a single goal each.
Sophomore goalie Marilyn Duffy-Cabana spent over 700 minutes in the net, fending off offensive advances by competitors, earning 44 saves and only letting 11 shots into the net. Tufts' other goalie, sophomore Angela Rappoli, played over 450 minutes and racked up 37 saves, letting in nine.
Despite many outstanding individual efforts, every member of the team was quick to attribute success to the group effort of the entire team. The Jumbos displayed excellent chemistry and teamwork that only improved over the season.
"It was awesome," Katz said of her first season with the team. "It was so much fun. The team was so great, and I'm really proud of how we improved together."
McDavitt was also proud of her team.
"I'm very happy to be here at Tufts," McDavitt said. "The girls have been amazing. It's been a special season for me. Their attitude and work ethic made my transition here so easy. Now that I've gotten a feel for them, and I know they are top athletes, I think I can get even more out of them next year."
