Despite the field hockey team's 3-2 double-overtime loss to Bowdoin in yesterday's NCAA championship game, there is little doubt that the national stage will from now on have to make room for the Jumbos. After finishing its best-ever season at 19-2 overall, Tufts' 2008 campaign has proven that it can compete with the best -- and win.
Even though it suffered defeat at the hands of a perennial field hockey titan in the Polar Bears, the field hockey program's journey to its first-ever national title contest appearance both signifies how momentous this fall was for the team in terms of its outstanding accomplishments and also heralds a promising future for a youthful squad that has had its first tastes of being the country's best -- even if it came one double-overtime goal short of officially owning that designation.
The impetus behind the Jumbos' climb into the nation's elite began last season, when a heavy-underdog squad gave a powerhouse Salisbury team a run for its money in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, as the Jumbos only lost 2-0.
"We came out with high expectations this September," sophomore midfielder Tamara Brown said. "After losing to Salisbury last year in the NCAA Tournament, a fire was lit under our team to come out strong this year. Starting with our opening-game win against Wesleyan we've really never let up. I don't think that that mindset is going to stop because of our loss [in the championship]. Even though we lost today, it was in double-overtime and that alone has started a fire under our feet as we look to next year and the possibility of taking it all."
The momentum of the Salisbury game carried over into this season, when the team continued its rise into the nation's spotlight, highlighted by Tufts' in-conference dominance. Having claimed both spots in the NCAA title game in each of the last two years, the NESCAC can be readily considered the toughest conference in Div. III. But the Jumbos at times steamrolled through the conference competition, recording a 10-1 season-opening decimation over Wesleyan, a 5-0 win over Colby and a 6-0 triumph over Conn. College.
The team did not skip a beat when it arrived at the tougher part of its NESCAC schedule, rousing new rivalries against top-ranked, NCAA-qualifying conference teams like Bowdoin, Trinity and Middlebury. The Jumbos recorded regular season road wins over all three teams, signaling to the nation that the team would be a force to be reckoned with -- even before the start of the NCAA Tournament.
"Being a part of this team since freshman year, we have such a talented, close-knit group of girls," senior tri-captain Tess Jasinski said. "Our team dynamic has been key to our success this year. We have been a solid unit on and off the field that has allowed us to come together in close games throughout the season and pull through. I think that that dynamic is really unique to Tufts."
The success against elite competition continued into the postseason, when Tufts overcame traditional Mid-Atlantic heavyweights The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and Messiah in the quarter and semifinal rounds of the NCAA Tournament, respectively. Of particular symbolic meaning was Saturday's decisive 5-2 win over the nationally ranked No. 1 Falcons, representing Tufts' third win over a squad that was at one point No. 1 this season.
For a team that felt slighted by the national polls all season long -- the Jumbos never reached the top spot in the National Field Hockey Coach's Association (NFHCA) poll despite posting the only unbeaten regular season in the nation -- beating top-caliber teams sent a resounding message.
"We feel a sense of vindication after being looked over in the national poll despite our successes on the field in the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament," Jasinski said. "I think that we're going to finally be seen as a real force on the national level as well as in our own conference, as the NESCAC has some of the best teams and I think we will be considered one of the strongest next year."
"No one took us too seriously last year; when we beat teams like Middlebury, it was seen as a fluke," junior forward Amanda Russo said. "I think that our success this season has put to rest all of those feelings in the conference and around the field hockey community. We've beaten Bowdoin when they were No. 1 and we've beaten Messiah when they were No. 1. We've improved drastically every year and we're showing that Tufts is one of the best programs in the nation."
Yesterday's loss not only closed the book on the 2008 season, but it also marked the end of the tenures of several key players on the Tufts squad. The loss marked the last game of the careers of senior tri-captains Marlee Kutcher, Brittany Holiday and Jasinski. The captains, whose presence was valued on both offense and defense, recorded a combined eight goals and 11 assists on the season.
But this season has also showcased the talent of an up-and-coming roster, with juniors and sophomores who will be tapped to lead the team in future seasons topping the points list. Brown, most notably, returned to Bello Field in 2008 after a season-ending ACL injury last year and hasn't slowed down since, shattering the program record for goals in a season with 28.
The Jumbos can also look to its scoring leaders, juniors Russo and Michelle Kelly, who posted a combined 26 goals. Eleven other players also tallied scores over the course of the year, a testament to the depth and talent of the squad.
While the championship eluded this year's squad, its accomplishments have brought Tufts unprecedented national prominence and an elevated reputation among the ranks of traditionally successful Div. III field hockey programs. Although yesterday's loss wasn't the ideal ending to a historic season, one thing is for sure: Tufts has arrived and is here for the duration.
"It's really cool to have had such a momentous season," Brown said. "It's also great that we have a young team with talent at all levels. Next year and the year after won't be rebuilding years. We're going into the offseason knowing what we are capable of. We've redefined in a lot of people's minds what our program can accomplish. We're going to build on all the records we broke this year and we can't wait to start over again."
