To end a midseason losing skid, the women's soccer team returned to a familiar strategy: shutout defense.
The Jumbos picked up a critical 3-0 win over conference rival Wesleyan yesterday afternoon at Kraft Field for their seventh shutout of the 2008 season. The victory -- just the team's second in its last six games -- kept Tufts in a tie for fourth place in the NESCAC standings with only two conference matchups remaining on the schedule.
The momentum behind yesterday's effort came from Saturday, when the Jumbos battled national No. 1 Williams closely but lost 1-0.
A Tufts defense that had allowed 11 goals in its last four games heading into the contest against Williams received a considerable amount of stability over the weekend when sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Jacobs, hampered by a rib injury she suffered during the team's 3-1 loss to Middlebury on Oct. 11, returned to the net.
"She's got a little ways to go as far as tenderness and that sort of thing, but she definitely was feeling a lot better, and it showed," coach Martha Whiting said. "Having her back gives us an overall confidence because she's a very good keeper. You're just not as nervous as a team when you're sure who your goalkeeper is going to be. Once you have someone in there who you trust and who you're confident in, everyone can settle down."
Two other returnees to the lineup in the Wesleyan game -- sophomore midfielder Geneva DeGregorio and freshman midfielder Alix Michael -- each contributed to the team's victory yesterday. Back from a groin injury she suffered in the loss to Middlebury, DeGregorio helped set up Tufts' first score of the afternoon, assisting on junior midfielder Fanna Gamal's second goal of the season at the 19:33 mark in the first half.
Michael, returning this weekend after missing the previous five games with a concussion, helped the Jumbos manufacture their second tally. She fed sophomore forward Bailey Morgan a beautiful crossing pass that resulted in Morgan's second goal of the season, giving Tufts a 2-0 lead with 6:26 to play before halftime.
"It was a huge deal to have both of them back," sophomore centerback Sarah Nolet said. "Both of them are impact players, and it was really important to have them both back this weekend. We couldn't have gotten through the weekend without them."
The Jumbos' final tally came courtesy of its lone senior, tri-captain Maya Shoham, with less than two minutes to play in the second half. The score was Shoham's first since Sept. 27, 2005.
"That was just awesome," Whiting said. "It's one of our last true home games, it's against a NESCAC team, she hadn't scored since she was a freshman -- it couldn't have worked out more perfectly. She's been working hard all year, and it's nice to see her be rewarded for her hard work. I know that all the coaches and her teammates were so excited for her."
A day earlier, Tufts gave a powerhouse Williams squad all it could handle, outshooting the Ephs 13-6 and limiting them to their lowest offensive output of the season. But Williams' defense ultimately made a first-half goal by sophomore forward Sara Wild stand, and the team escaped Kraft Field with its unbeaten record intact. Still, the Jumbos were glad they could give the Ephs their most competitive contest of the season.
"I think it was really a turning point for our team because we've had some rough games and we've struggled this season," Nolet said. "It was a turning point in terms of how well we played and how we came together as a team. Even though we did lose in the end, we were really excited to go forward off of that game and work from there."
"Sometimes in soccer, the team that outshoots and maybe outplays the other team doesn't always win," Whiting said. "We were satisfied with the way we played. We felt like even though they're a really good team, we played them tough. We left it all out on the field, and that's all we could have asked for. You can't be disappointed if you did all you could."
One downside to the weekend occurred yesterday, when sophomore defender Carrie Wilson, who has started all 10 games for the Jumbos this season, left the game with 28:55 remaining in the second half with a right hamstring injury, the severity of which wasn't known until after the game. She is at least the sixth injured Jumbo of the season.
The Jumbos have the remainder of the week off as they get ready to take on Trinity next weekend in another crucial NESCAC matchup. Tufts has all but wrapped up a trip to the conference tournament, but if it wants to host a first-round game for the fifth consecutive season, it needs to win its final two NESCAC games, including the clash with the Bantams next week.
