Looking Back (September 15) | Women's Soccer 2, Middlebury 1 (2ot)
In its first of two back-to-back conference games against the NESCAC's elite teams, the women's soccer team proved it belonged right alongside them.
Playing a Middlebury team ranked first in New England and No. 8 in the nation, the Jumbos staged a dramatic comeback to beat the Panthers 2-1 in double overtime Saturday. Sophomore Cara Cadigan, the reigning NESCAC Player of the Week, notched the game-winning goal in the 107th minute.
The Panthers, last season's NESCAC champions, jumped out to a 1-0 lead with under five minutes remaining in the first half when freshman Katie Ruymann's shot from 30 yards out slipped under the crossbar. Middlebury held its tenuous lead until the 84th minute, when freshman Sarah Nolet drilled in her first collegiate goal to tie the score at one late in the second half.
That set the stage for Cadigan's heroics. In the second overtime, the sophomore took a pass from classmate Ali Maxwell in front of the net and got past Panther goalie Adele Plunkett for the game-winner.
The victory upped the Jumbos' NESCAC mark to 2-0 heading into Saturday's showdown against Amherst, who last year made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Tufts has not lost a regular-season game to the Lord Jeffs since 2001.
Looking Ahead (September 23) | Cleveland Browns At Oakland Raiders
Last week, both Cleveland and Oakland, arguably the NFL's two most hapless teams, actually showed some life. The Browns ruined participants in Survivor leagues everywhere, stunning in-state rival Cincinnati 51-45. The Raiders, meanwhile, pushed 9.5-point favorite Denver to overtime before losing on a Jason Elam field goal.
On Sunday, when Cleveland and Oakland are pitted against each other in the ultimate battle for futility, one team's winning ways (or, almost winning ways) will actually continue. But the loser will not go home empty handed, pulling ahead in the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft (Darren McFadden anyone?).
With games against the Chargers, Bears, Broncos and Colts still at hand, the Raiders wouldn't necessarily hurt their shot at the league's worst record with a win on Sunday. Indeed the Browns would be best off putting together a tank job, with winnable games against the Cardinals, Jets and Bills remaining.
