When the Tufts women's soccer team meets Colby for its matchup on Kraft Field Saturday, there will be plenty on the line. The Jumbos hope to maintain their string of recent successes against the Mules in addition to continuing a Homecoming winning streak that goes back to 2004. Most importantly, however, the Jumbos have an opportunity to solidify their spot in the top half of the NESCAC standings.
Tufts is fighting for a chance to earn a top-four spot in the conference, which would allow the team to host a first-round game in the NESCAC Tournament that begins Nov. 1. Saturday's game is the first of a stretch of three straight conference games, which will go a long way in determining the Jumbos' standing in the NESCAC at the end of the regular season, as after this series they will have only two remaining in-conference games.
"It is definitely important as far as NESCAC standings," junior defender Sarah Nolet said. "We have aspirations to make it into the NCAA Tournament and we need to get into the NESCAC Tournament. That means winning these next three games and hopefully definitively to keep on that confidence trail and keep winning."
The game is the second of a four game homestand for Tufts, which is 2-2 so far on Kraft this season. The Jumbos will have to bounce back from a 2-0 non-conference loss to
"I think the energy definitely helps us," Nolet said. "Playing in front of a crowd — playing for your school and having a cause — that kind of thing gets us pumped up. And hopefully, we will have some fans to play for so that should be fun."
Tufts will be looking to continue its stellar record versus Colby, whom the Jumbos have not lost to since 2005. While the two teams generally play earlier in the season, Tufts started out with some tougher NESCAC opponents at the beginning of its schedule this year. Still, the Mules will be coming off their first conference victory, which they earned yesterday against Bowdoin, so the Jumbos know they cannot take their opponents lightly.
"All the NESCAC teams are really good," Nolet said. "You can't take any of them for granted. So we try not to look at their wins and losses or how we have done against them in the past and just come out respecting them but with confidence as well."
