The Tufts field hockey team takes the field this weekend looking to build on the success of the 2004 season, which saw the addition of first-time head coach Tina McDavitt, a new turf surface at Bello Field, and the team's first winning record in three years.
The team graduated four seniors last year. Forward Dana Panzer, who set a Tufts record with 12 goals and nine assists in her senior season, and fellow forward Jennie Sachs, whose quickness down the line contributed two goals to the Tufts offense, graduated with defenders Tracy Samko and Jayme Heller. These departures leave openings in the mid- and backfields. McDavitt will turn to the team's returning upperclassmen and six freshman recruits to fill these gaps on both sides of the ball.
"I'm really excited about our freshmen," McDavitt said. "Some have had turf experience, and some haven't, but in a couple of weeks, I think they'll all be where they need to be."
With the loss of two top scorers, the team will look to sophomores Ileana Katz and Corey Green to lead the Jumbo offense. Katz netted two goals last season in seven starts, but has big shoes to fill in Panzer's absence.
"We're trying some new offensive formations this year," junior defender and midfielder Lizzy Oxler said. "We're trying to get more people up front and scoring, so nothing's really set in stone yet."
Defensively, the Jumbos are returning only one starter from a defensive line that last season allowed the fewest goals in recent years. Junior Stacey Watkins will anchor the backfield, along with seniors Erika Goodwin and Threse Corsello, as sophomore Meghan Becque is currently sidelined with compartment syndrome. Rounding off the defense are the team's two junior goalkeepers, Angela Rappoli and Marilyn Duffy-Cabana, who split time in the cage last year to record 81 saves.
Connecting the offensive and defensive lines is the Jumbo midfield, led by returning senior tri-captains Lea Napolitano and Jeanne Grabowski. Napolitano earned All-Conference honors in both 2003 and 2004, serving as the focal point for the defensive and offensive lines from her position at center midfield. She netted six goals and added five assists last season, good for 17 points and second-best on the team.
Grabowski also added three goals for the Jumbos last year and will return to her midfield position.
"We're really strong in the midfield, so we're tough on either side of the ball," McDavitt said. "[Grabowski and Napolitano] are our captains, and they're great players, so I think we're strongest in the middle."
While last season saw great improvements for the program ,as the team played its way to a 10-6 record and a 5-4 mark against NESCAC competition, McDavitt has even higher goals for her second season.
"We want to reach the NESCAC championship game," she said, remembering Tufts' 3-0 loss to Williams in the semifinals of the 2004 postseason tournament. "And definitely [another goal is] to have a better record."
Watkins said that the team wants to improve to at least 12-4, and is looking in the distance at a possible NCAA bid.
These aims will be met with stiff competition across the league, as the NESCAC continues to be one of the most competitive Div. III conferences in the country. Middlebury is a perennial powerhouse, as the Panthers reached the NCAA championship game last year and have lost only twice since November 2002. Williams is also a tough opponent. The Ephs nabbed the 2004 NESCAC title from Middlebury in a 4-3 overtime win.
McDavitt recognized the high level of play that the Jumbos will face throughout the conference, and also acknowledged the possibility of an unforeseen individual breakout season.
"Some outstanding seniors have graduated in the NESCAC, but people have breakout seasons all the time," she said. "We're expecting it from all the teams we play, and we're expecting it from our team."
The team got an early look at some NESCAC competition on Sunday at a scrimmage held at Trinity, facing Williams, Trinity, and non-conference Wellesley.
McDavitt will have some extra help on the sidelines this year as Panzer returns as a graduate assistant. Panzer is working with the offense and the goalkeepers, adding her field hockey knowledge, continuity, and familiarity to the coaching staff.
"It's been wonderful working with her," McDavitt said. "She's on my page and we have the same goals and the same passion for the game."
The team opens its season on Saturday with a trip to Waterville, Maine, to take on Colby. The Jumbos will look to repeat last year's success, as they christened their new field last fall with a 1-0 overtime win over the Mules.
"[Coach] has really high expectations and goals for us, and she really pushes us to get there," Watkins said. "It's really just a matter of us going out and getting it done, and I think we have [the] potential to do that."
