Field Hockey | Decimation: Jumbos score record 10 goals on Wesleyan

    The field hockey team opened its season with an offensive performance that would have humbled even last season's record-setting squad.
    Behind hat tricks from sophomore forward Tamara Brown and junior forward Michelle Kelly, the national No. 16 Jumbos kicked off the fall in style, walloping NESCAC rival Wesleyan 10-1 at Bello Field Saturday. Fresh off a season that saw it tally a school-record 52 goals, Tufts rewrote another part of its record book over the weekend, besting the program's 25-year-old mark for goals in a game.
    "We couldn't have asked for a better game than we got today," senior tri-captain Tess Jasinski said. "I'm absolutely thrilled right now. It's just a great way to start the season off, and I hope it'll launch us ahead with confidence for the rest of the season."
    A team that enjoyed tremendous success last year, including its first-ever victory in an NCAA Tournament game, wanted no letdowns to begin 2008. In a season full of high hopes, the team was glad to get off to a running start.
    "Now, we have the reputation of being a solid team that can compete with anyone," coach Tina McDavitt said. "That's great, and it's awesome to be recognized, but you still have to go out there and earn it every day. You've got to go out there and get the win. Today was a great game. … I'm excited to take it one game at a time and try to build off our success."
    While 12 of the Jumbos' last 20 meetings with the Cardinals had been decided by one goal, there was no doubt which team was in command of this contest. Tufts needed just 58 seconds to grab the lead, and from there the rout was on. The Jumbos scored seven times in the first period alone — they had never scored more than six goals in an entire game in McDavitt's four previous seasons at the helm — on their way to a 7-1 halftime advantage.
    Brown led the charge early, requiring just 8:23 to notch Tufts' first three scores and earn her first career hat trick. In her first game since tearing her ACL last October, Brown didn't need much time to regain the form that characterized her rookie season, in which she tallied 11 points in 13 games.
    "I have just been so impressed with [Brown's] work ethic," McDavitt said. "Right after she tore her ACL, she was ready to rehab and get right back in there. She was so excited to be playing and to be back on the field. She has been working her butt off, so it was awesome for her to get in there and set the tone early."
    After assisting on Brown's first goal, Kelly accounted for all three of Tufts' second-half tallies, marking the first time two Jumbos have scored hat tricks in the same game. With seven points on the afternoon, Kelly moved into the top 10 of the program's all-time scoring list.
    "She's really fast, and she always gets to where she's supposed to be," senior tri-captain Marlee Kutcher said. "She's been scoring since she was a freshman, and it's really great to see her come out strong like that again."
    Brown and Kelly's scores were sandwiched around goals from senior tri-captain Brittany Holiday, junior midfielder Margi Scholtes, junior forward Amanda Russo and sophomore midfielder Irene Lewnard. For a team that graduated its single-season scoring leader, Ileana Casellas-Katz (LA '08), the balanced attack was a welcome sign.
    "Last year … we definitely looked to Ileana a lot," Kutcher said. "But this year, we have no star players, and we just work together really well. All our forwards and all of our subs do a great job of stepping it up, working together and just getting involved."
    "I think it shows that we have a lot of depth," McDavitt said. "It was very difficult putting together our starting lineup for [Saturday] because we have so many good players. We have six players who can play on the forward line and who can contribute and do a great job. It was great to let everyone get in and let everyone get their turn."
    Each healthy player on the Jumbos' roster saw game action, including all eight freshmen. In their collegiate debuts, first-years Claire Kemp and Bri Cilley notched an assist apiece.
    Tufts will next take the field Wednesday afternoon, when it hosts regional foe Wellesley at Bello Field. The Blue have gone just 3-6 against NESCAC opponents over the past two seasons, but two of those victories have been over the Jumbos. Tufts hopes it can reverse its recent fortunes against Wellesley and jump to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2004.
    "It's going to be really important that we go out and we just play our game," McDavitt said. "They're a great team, and they go after us, but some of the reasons we've lost is that we haven't capitalized on our corners, or we haven't finished, or they've gotten down to our end and gotten a goal that we should have stopped defensively. As long as we play our game, I think we should be in good shape."
    "I don't think us seniors have been more fired up for a game in a long time," Kutcher said.