The Tufts defense came up big on both ends of the field on Saturday as the field hockey team dropped Bates 1-0 in league action.
Junior defender Stacey Watkins anchored a rear four that shut down the Bobcats for the full 70 minutes, including a second-half offensive burst from the previously quiet Bates front line. Then, with just two minutes remaining in a scoreless game, the center back moved up for a penalty corner and drove a shot into the right corner of the cage to give Tufts the 1-0 victory.
The Jumbos dominated the first half offensively, but their 12 shots and eight penalty corners were not enough to get them on the scoreboard as the teams went into halftime locked at zero. Bates senior goalkeeper Sarah Judice logged six saves in the opening period.
"Their goalie had a great game, and we kept the pressure on and stayed focused, and [Coach Tina McDavitt] kept telling us it'll go in, just keep at it," said senior co-captain Jeanne Grabowski, who recorded the assist on the goal for her stick-stop at the top of the circle. "It was really just a matter of having that one shot go in that one time."
With her offense playing with aggressiveness and focus, McDavitt had few areas to tweak during the break.
"As a coach, at halftime you're looking for things to work on, and I just kept telling them that they were doing a great job," McDavitt said. "We were playing very, very well - people were getting in the right spots and doing what they're supposed to be doing."
The burden at halftime was on the Bobcats, who had struggled in the first half offensively, and they accepted the challenge, retaking the field with a more defined and forceful offense. Rebounding from a slow first half in which they mustered only a single shot on goal, Bates' forwards upped the pressure on the Tufts defense for a stretch midway through the second half.
"We were definitely the better team, but the more Bates was in it, the more they just kept coming at us," McDavitt said. "Our offense was all the way up in their circle, and when they cleared it they got some fast breaks."
But the Tufts defense responded, tightening its ranks and protecting the cage. Junior goalkeeper Marilyn Duffy-Cabana recorded nine of her 11 saves in the second half to keep the Bobcats scoreless and nab her third shutout of the season.
"They came out hard in the second half and I think we were surprised at how offensive they were," Watkins said. "We had a couple close calls, and we knew how important it was to regain our composure, calm down and not have what happened at Gordon happen again."
In a 5-3 win over Gordon on Sept. 20, the Jumbos built up a 5-1 lead early in the second half and allowed two quick goals by the Fighting Scots before regaining their balance.
While the Bobcats dropped to 1-3 in NESCAC play and seventh in the league, the win pushed the Jumbos to 4-3 overall and 3-1 against NESCAC schools. Now halfway through the league schedule, the team now sits comfortably in a tie for third with Williams and only half a game behind second-seeded Bowdoin.
"I'm very happy with where we are right now," McDavitt said. "It'll be interesting to see how we match up with Bowdoin and Williams. We're really closely matched, and I think it'll just come down to whoever plays better on that particular day."
Middlebury, undefeated at 4-0, stands alone at the top of the league rankings. The Jumbos dropped a tight 2-0 game to the Panthers at home on Sept. 17 and are hoping for a November rematch.
"This win only brings us more confidence to carry into our next game," said Grabowski. "I have complete confidence that we can win the NESCAC, and we hope to see Middlebury again in the finals."
The team's postseason aspirations will likely be helped by a four-game home stretch over the next two weeks. The home games will allow the Jumbos to play on a consistent surface, avoid early-morning traveling and, according to McDavitt, get some rest.
"It's hard to keep switching [surfaces]," she said. "And now that school's starting to pick up, it's great if we don't have to travel so the girls can sleep in a little bit and be comfortable and ready to play."
Non-conference Babson comes to Medford on Thursday, and while teams try never to look past the opponent right in front of them, it will be hard for the Jumbos to keep their eyes off Saturday's matchup against Bowdoin. At 3-0 in league play, the Polar Bears are only a half-game ahead of Tufts, and a win on Saturday would put the Jumbos right on Middlebury's coattails.
"It's great playing at home, just to have the energy from the stands," Grabowski said. "Being on our home turf gets us even more excited to play."
