Ileana Casellas-Katz, Field Hockey
Entering her senior season, Ileana Casellas-Katz was ninth on the field hockey program's all-time scoring list, with still another season on the front line to add to her 38 points. The co-captain tacked on four more on Saturday, notching both the game-tying and the game-winning goals in the field hockey team's 3-1 season-opening win over Colby.
Casellas-Katz took Tufts from a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 lead as she and the team's three other seniors rounded out a four-year, Opening Day sweep of the Mules. At the 11:53 mark of the first half, the Denmark, Maine native took a pass from sophomore forward Michelle Kelly and found the back of the net, knotting the game at one. She added a second goal three minutes into the second half to put the Jumbos ahead for good, this time on a feed from senior forward Corey Green. The tally was her fourth career game-winner.
Casellas-Katz led the team in goals her sophomore year with seven. Last year, she transitioned into the team's assist leader, bringing along a corps of youngsters on the front line.
Her scoring streak may continue this week, when the team travels to Wellesley for its second game of the year. Casellas-Katz has scored a goal in each of the Jumbos' past three meetings with the Blue, a run that dates back to her freshman season. The first of her 14 career scores came in a 2004 game against Wellesley, the last time Tufts beat the Blue.
Jesse Faller, Men's Cross Country
The men's cross country team had more challenging it than just the six other teams participating in the Trinity Invitational on Saturday. Not only was the weather unseasonably warm, with temperatures well into the 90's, but the Jumbos also raced without senior tri-captain Chris Kantos, who is recovering from a hip injury.
But thanks to a strong performance from sophomore Jesse Faller, Tufts finshed second in its first race of the season. Faller, whose best showing in his rookie season last year was an 11th-place finish in the Jumbo Invitational, placed second overall with a time of 16:34, the best of any Tufts runner. The only individual to best the Burlington, Mass. native was defending Div. III New England Regional and NESCAC champion Hunter Norte, whose Trinity Bantams won the meet. Faller's performance was a vast improvement from his showing in last year's season-opening race at Conn. College, where he finished in 60th place.
Faller was one of three Jumbos to finish in the top-10, joining senior tri-captain Dave Sorensen and classmate Nick Welch. Tufts also had three freshmen finish in the top-20.
