The field hockey team has taken a lot of steps this season towards a program-best finish in NESCAC and its season goal of an NCAA Tournament berth. A solid overall record, a 5-2 mark in the sport's toughest league in the country, and a high-profile win over Middlebury have earned the Jumbos a national ranking - now at 17th in Tuesday's coaches' poll - and put them on the cusp of making Tufts history.
A win over Williams tomorrow might just get them there.
In addition to securing the Jumbos their second straight (and second ever) home-field first-round NESCAC Tournament game, a win over Williams would go a long way in nudging up the team's already-rising national profile. The Ephs have long been a Div. III power and currently sit at No. 15 in the national polls - two spots above the No. 17 Jumbos.
The game marks the closest contest between two ranked NESCAC teams in the league's history.
The game will also provide a valuable head-to-head tiebreaker for NCAA considerations. Like last year, the NESCAC is likely to rake in two at-large bids to go with its automatic qualifying bid, but three may be a stretch in the tournament's 24-team field. Tufts, Williams, Bowdoin and Middlebury will all be jockeying to impress the committee, and the winner tomorrow in Williamstown has a leg up.
The Ephs have arguably more to lose. A loss tomorrow drops them to 4-4 in the league, brings their overall loss total to five, dangerously close to too many for the NCAA committee, and puts their first-round hosting rights on the rocks.
