Although the Tufts E-Men are more prominent on the Tufts campus, another ultimate frisbee squad is also deserving of the spotlight. With an eye on the spring season, the Tufts E-Wo (Elephant Women) has been working hard this fall practice season.
"It's looking great," senior Dina Vaynerman said. "We've grown a lot so far. I feel like we're really coming together as a team."
The team has already played one tournament, finishing with a 2-4 record. The tournament was club sectionals, where the Jumbos were pitted against non-college club teams that are more experienced. Furthermore, the club teams do not face the issue of teaching a team with new members to play together.
"We played O.K.," Vaynerman said. "We came up against a lot of tough teams."
The E-Wo graduated five players, a considerable number considering only seven people play on the field at a time. The Tufts women still have a significant number of returning players who are well-acquainted with both the subtleties of the game and each other's strengths.
"We have a big senior class this year that has been playing together since freshman year. It should make for a great time," Vaynerman said.
A huge turnout of new players should also boost the team's chances. Many new members are not experienced ultimate players, because most high schools do not have ultimate teams. The team said the athleticism is an asset.
"A record number of girls came out to practice," senior captain Elana Eisen-Markowitz said. "A lot of the girls were varsity athletes in high school and want to try something new. We actually have two girls this year that played ultimate in high school, which is pretty surprising."
The popularity of women's ultimate frisbee is skyrocketing. Two years ago, the Tufts women added a second team and now have an "A" and a "B" squad. The fall season is open; the final teams are selected in the spring. The team lineups typically change from semester to semester.
"We have three starters studying abroad who we're expecting to return for the spring season," Eisen-Markowitz said.
The newfound popularity of women's ultimate makes the competition for starting positions more intense and increases the team's competitiveness.
The E-Wo enjoy a positive rapport with the Tufts E-Men. The teams typically scrimmage every Friday and are mutually supportive.
"We're all good friends with the guys," Vaynerman said.
"There's a really social atmosphere," Eisen-Markowitz said.
That's not surprising, since the game of ultimate frisbee revolves around a sense of camaraderie. Ultimate has a principle called "The Spirit of the Game," a concept that stresses sportsmanlike conduct both on and off the field. Ultimate is self-refereed; players are responsible for their own foul calls and must resolve their own disputes.
"I played soccer for 12 years before college, and I play here at Tufts," said Eisen-Markowitz. "I've often had more problems with soccer referees than I have ever had during ultimate where there are no refs."
