For the first time this season, a history-making opportunity evaded the field hockey team.
The nationally ranked No. 2 Jumbos dropped a narrow 1-0 decision to No. 4 Bowdoin in the championship game of the NESCAC Tournament yesterday afternoon on Bello Field, marking top-seeded Tufts' first loss of its record-setting 2008 campaign.
"It's just frustrating," coach Tina McDavitt said. "When we lose, I want to lose because the other team is so much better, but I just didn't feel that way today. We're a good team and a championship-caliber team, but we just didn't find a way to play like it."
The setback will not end the team's season, however, as the Jumbos earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament at 11 p.m. yesterday behind the strength of their near-perfect 16-1 record. The loss came on the heels of the team's thrilling 1-0 overtime win over ninth-ranked Trinity in Saturday's semifinal, which propelled the Jumbos into the title game for the first time in program history.
Yesterday's game was a far cry from Tufts and Bowdoin's last meeting, a Halloween night contest the Jumbos won 4-3 to clinch both an undefeated regular season and the right to host the NESCAC Tournament. A defensive struggle ensued this time around, as the Jumbos' offense, statistically the most potent in the conference this season, went cold.
Tufts' forward line of sophomore Tamara Brown and juniors Michelle Kelly and Amanda Russo, a trio that tallied all four of the team's goals against the Polar Bears on Oct. 31, managed a combined one shot yesterday, as the Jumbos were shut out for just the second time in the last three years.
"I think to win and not give up any goals is just a whole tribute to the whole team, but particularly the defense and the goalkeepers," Bowdoin coach Nicky Pearson said. "We had a wonderful weekend, and I'm really proud of their performance defensively."
The Jumbo offense was particularly stagnant in the first half, as the team registered zero shots and earned zero penalty-corner chances. Bowdoin, the tourney's second seed, took advantage, notching the game's only score with 4:14 to play in the period off a shot by junior defender Kara Kelley.
"We needed to come out stronger in the first half," senior tri-captain Tess Jasinski said. "We let them control the game for a lot of the beginning because we came out a little on our heels, and I think Bowdoin did a good job of capitalizing on that. We didn't have complete composure on the field, and they were able to take advantage and score."
The Jumbos' attack finally found its rhythm in the second half, but the Polar Bears held slim advantage with more strong defensive play. Senior tri-captain Marlee Kutcher found herself in the middle of Tufts' best scoring option midway through the period, but Bowdoin sophomore goalkeeper Emily Nelson stopped Kutcher's shot attempt for her only save of the afternoon.
The Jumbos had more opportunities, courtesy of five second-half penalty corners; but as was the case all weekend, Tufts' corner unit couldn't take advantage. The Jumbos failed to score on all 41 of their penalty-corner chances over the semifinal and championship rounds of the conference tournament, including a couple in the waning minutes of yesterday's contest.
"In the second half, we put a lot more pressure on them," McDavitt said. "Those last five or seven minutes, we had some really good chances and good opportunities but just barely missed the cage. When we started to slow down and play our game, you could see it: the momentum started to shift. But it was too little too late."
Despite the loss, Tufts still made some history over the weekend by reaching the championship round of the NESCAC Tournament for the first time -- and it didn't come easily. The fifth-seeded Bantams pushed the Jumbos to the limit in semifinal action on Saturday; Tufts played Trinity to a scoreless tie through the first 70 minutes despite earning 35 penalty corner chances.
But Brown ended Trinity's upset bid, notching a dramatic goal 5:55 into overtime to launch Tufts to the championship game. The tally was the sophomore's third overtime goal -- and her second score against the Bantams -- this season.
"It was fantastic," McDavitt said. "Tamara is like our go-to girl -- she just gets it done. We never gave up, and it was great to get to the championship game."
Following their weekend of mixed results, the Jumbos will now set their sights on making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. After a season in which it picked up four wins over top 10 teams and won the NESCAC regular season championship, Tufts received a favorable draw -- including a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the quarterfinal round -- when the bracket was revealed last night.
"Now that the NESCAC Tournament is over, we have to focus and leave this loss behind us, learn from it and move ahead," Jasinski said. "We may even end up meeting Bowdoin again, so hopefully, we'll learn from this loss and adjust and come back strong for the tournament."
See Wednesday's Daily for complete NCAA Tournament coverage.
