After climbing from No. 10 to the No. 7 spot in the national rankings this week, the field hockey team will face its toughest opponent yet on Saturday in No. 3 Middlebury. And the Jumbos couldn't be more up for the challenge.
At 8-0, they are at the top of their game. They've allowed fewer shots against them than the goals they have scored; they've scored more than eight times as many goals as they've let in; and they've forced opposing goalkeepers to make 101 saves, collectively. Additionally, Tufts is coming off a stellar 4-0 victory against Amherst, in which they outshot the Jeffs 19-2 and allowing only two penalty corners against them.
"Things really started to click in our game against Amherst," coach Tina McDavitt said. "I'm really confident in the team right now and really confident in our skills."
Unlike Tufts, Middlebury has had to overcome disappointment already this season. No. 1 Bowdoin shut it out 2-0 on Oct. 4, stopping its undefeated run at 6-0. The Panthers then bounced back on Oct. 7 to beat the Trinity Bantams, a team that was also undefeated, 3-2. The victory showed Middlebury's ability to move on from the past and focus on the task at hand.
"I don't think the loss weakened their confidence because they've been such a successful team and they've always played really well," McDavitt said. "They know they're good and they know what they need to do."
Middlebury plays with an up-field forward, a player who is removed from midfield and defensive play in order to hang back on offense in the event of a breakaway. Using this tactic, the Panthers' offense has outscored its opponents 35-12 this season. Tufts' defense, however, is prepared for the challenge.
"Middlebury is really quick in transition -- getting the ball from their defensive end to their offensive end -- so we need to be aware of that and be first to the ball and anticipate," sophomore Tamara Brown said.
By playing with an up-field forward, Middlebury's defense is slightly weakened. The Panthers' opponents have shot 90 times against them, while the Jumbos have only allowed 35 such chances.
"By staying really high, this player stretches the field," McDavitt said. "It's almost as if they're playing a man down. We've been preparing the defense to be aware of her without allowing her to change the way we play our game."
Tufts defeated Middlebury last season for the first time in 22 years, only to fall to the Panthers 4-3 in overtime during the NESCAC semifinals. The Jumbos are even deeper this season than last, though, with 10 different players having scored, including four off the bench.
"I think last year we relied on Ileana Casellas-Katz (LA '08) for our goals," McDavitt said. This year, she said that Brown and juniors Michelle Kelly and Amanda Russo have shared the offensive reins.
"It's going to be really hard for other teams to shut [us down] because if they take one out, another one is going to score."
This week, the Jumbos have been practicing one-on-one situations as well as penalty corners on offense and defense.
"We've been able to get so many shots off in our past eight games, but we can't expect to get that many opportunities in the circle against a team like Middlebury, so we've been working a lot on capitalizing on the shots that we do get," Brown said.
Most importantly, the Jumbos will go into this matchup armed with an undefeated season and a determination to keep it intact.
"Last year's regular season game was the first time we had beaten Middlebury in 22 years, but this time around, we know what we are capable of," Brown said.
"I think we're evenly matched," McDavitt said. "Whoever shows up ready to play is going to win."
