On a sunny day last October, a stiff wind blew an errant shot past then-senior goalkeeper Annie Ross, and a slow-motion moment ended a promising season. The women's soccer team had been stunned in a first-round NESCAC Tournament loss to Bates, and its chances to repeat the magical postseason run of 2005 had been dashed.
This year, that wind is blowing hard in the other direction as the Jumbos look to turn a highly decorated senior class and a chip on their shoulder s into a season to remember.
With 10 months to replay that moment, the team has trained hard during the offseason.
"Through the spring and summer we have a lift program that we've been working really hard on to get in the best shape possible for the season," senior Lauren Fedore said. "A lot of us played on a summer league team together at Tufts to keep our touch on the ball."
The 2006 season marked the program's 12th consecutive winning season. The last six have come under coach Martha Whiting, whose tenure has included a national title game appearance in 2000, which earned her a Coach of the Year award from the National Soccer Coaches' Association of America, and a Final Four appearance in 2005.
When the 2007 season kicks off this weekend, the Jumbos have a return to national dominance in mind. The senior class includes three All-New England selections and returns nearly its entire offense and midfield intact.
The only missing piece on offense is departed senior tri-captain Kim Harrington. All 10 goal-scorers from last year's squad are returning, led by senior Lauren Fedore, who tallied a team-best nine goals in 2006.
Co-captain Martha Furtek chipped in with a team-high six assists and three goals, although her impact on the field , where she spent much of the season patrolling the midfield, is undersold by these numbers. The senior, a First Team All-Region last year and a Second Team selection in 2005, is one of the most explosive players in the league and poised for a career year.
The two biggest holes are on defense, where two senior tri-captains vacate their positions. Defenseman Jen Fratto was selected to play in the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association Soccer Bowl following the conclusion of the 2006 season. Ross' .788 save percentage and 1.17 goals allowed per game helped the team to six shutouts last season, four of which came in conference play.
Sophomore keeper Kaitlin Minnehan will take over for
Ross in the net.
"We are very excited about her being in net behind us," Fedore said "She has great foot skills and great extension, and she's a really good goalie."
In front of Minnehan, a pair of decorated seniors will anchor the defense. Joelle Emery, a Third Team All-Region selection in 2005, and co-captain Annie Benedict, a Second Team All-Region selection last season, will roam the backfield.
Furtek, Fedore, Emery and Benedict form the core of a fearsome, and highly decorated, veteran class. Seniors Rebecca Abbott and Jessie Wagner, both six-point scorers last season, and defenseman Julia Brown round out the Class of 2008.
"We've all been playing together three years now," Fedore said. "For everyone's senior year, you want to make it your best, and we worked really hard on that. We were all here this summer trying to ensure that this year will be the best."
With seasoned classes of sophomores and juniors to help anchor the team and a promising group of incoming freshmen, the seniors should have no problem leading the team to another shot at the NESCAC crown.
"[Last years' seniors] played pretty key positions," junior Maya Shoham said. "We will definitely miss them, but we have the talent to play well this year. This year's seniors have stepped up and done really well in their division, and we have five freshmen and they're all pretty good."
Tufts will be put to the test on Saturday when it heads to Colby to take on the Mules for what has become its traditional season and NESCAC opener. The game has been an exceptional one in recent years. The Mules handed the 2005 Jumbos their only loss of the regular season, and last year's 0-0 decision was the first shutout tie at Kraft Field in 13 years.
"They're always a physical team and always work really hard," Fedore said of the Mules. "We're just hoping to work harder. Every NESCAC team is extremely strong, so we have to come out and play our best every day."
