Freshman Michelle Kelly's season included the program's first hat trick in six years, five game-winners, the most goals by a Tufts freshman since 1999, and the fourth most goals in a single season in Tufts history.
Not bad for a rookie.
Kelly raked in NESCAC Rookie of the Year Honors yesterday as the postseason awards were handed out around the league. She was joined on the NESCAC postseason awards list by senior co-captain Stacey Watkins (First Team All-Conference) and junior Ileana Casellas-Katz (Second Team All-Conference). The three postseason honors were the most for Tufts since 1999 and are further proof of the turnaround the Jumbos have made in the past three seasons, jumping from a 5-10 mark in 2003 to 11-5.
"She just has great touches on the ball," said junior forward Ileana Casellas-Katz, who hooked up with Kelly for four of the rookie's goals. "She's very fast, and she has good stick skills, but she's also a really composed player, particularly for a freshman. She is so unafraid to take people on and dribble into three defenders, but at the same time, she has a really good field sense and knows when to pass and when to take it herself."
Kelly came off the bench in the Jumbos' first six games and got her first shot at a starting spot during the Jumbos' Homecoming game against Bates, stepping in for absent senior wing Kathleen Martin. With the subsequent injury to junior defender Meghan Becque, several players shifted back a row, and a spot opened on the front line. Coach Tina McDavitt called Kelly's number and never looked back.
"She was able to get some time early on when she wasn't starting, and so when we had some injuries, she was right there, ready to step in," McDavitt said. "It was awesome the way she stepped into a starting role."
In a five-person recruiting class, Kelly was a pleasant surprise for McDavitt, who had to do some reshuffling between the front midfield lines this season to compensate for graduated seniors. Kelly meshed well with returning forward Casellas-Katz, and her speed down the line and reliable stick in the circle gave the Jumbos to their most productive offense since 1996.
"I didn't know she was that fast," McDavitt said. "I knew she'd be a good player coming in, but her skill right off the bat pleasantly surprised me. I was expecting her to be his good as a sophomore. She's quiet and composed, but she gets the job done."
- by Liz Hoffman
