After a grueling start to its season that included matchups with a pair of top−ten teams, the women's lacrosse team headed into Saturday's matchup with No. 10 Williams looking to make a statement. The Jumbos dominated the Ephs 17−7 last season, but knew the challenge would be much tougher this year.
Despite the improved Williams side, the No. 11 Jumbos proved they were up to the task, scoring a decisive 14−9 victory at Bello Field.
After 30 minutes of first−half action, it appeared as though the game was going to be a blowout comparable to last year's. The Jumbos won all seven draws and had goals from five different players en route to a 6−0 advantage at halftime, two of the last three notches coming from junior attackman Lara Kozin.
"[The Williams games from this year and last year] were very similar," junior midfielder Casey Egan said. "We were super excited and pumped last year and we brought the same intensity this year. It was a huge turning point for us last year, and we wanted it to be the same this year."
The Jumbos were able to carry the momentum into the second half, continuing their domination both offensively and defensively throughout the period.
"At halftime the plan was to keep doing exactly what we were doing," Egan said. "We wanted to maintain composure and patience on attack and stay intense and focused on defense."
The continued focus paid off for the Jumbos as they maintained their composure and intensity despite Williams' second−half efforts to get back into the game. Tufts scored two of the first three goals of the half, extending its lead to 8−1.
But the Ephs did not go quietly, surging forward with four of the next five goals to narrow the deficit to 9−5 with 14:28 to go in regulation.
The Jumbos needed to respond and they did so, with Kozin and Egan taking advantage of the fourth of five Williams yellow cards to notch two goals within 11 seconds of each other.
One last push from the Ephs dropped the lead to three at the 5:07 mark, but once again the Jumbos had the answer, with goals from freshman attackman Gabby Horner and junior attackman Steph Perez sealing the win.
Tufts' offense was led by Kozin's four goals and Egan's two goals and four assists. Perez and Horner each contributed two goals, as well. With this NESCAC victory, the Jumbos improve to 2−1 in conference play and 3−2 overall.
"This win was really crucial for us because it's the first game we played the full 60 minutes and really gelled as a team," Kozin said. "We've been progressing with each practice and game, and our hard work really showed today."
The improvements have been undoubtedly tangible. The Jumbos gave No. 6 Colby a scare on March 18, leading at the half and up two with less than seven minutes to go before the Mules put away three unanswered goals in the final minutes.
The Jumbos then traveled to Hoboken, N.J., on March 21, where they were outscored 10−2 by No. 9 Stevens in the first half and fell 15−10. Tufts concluded its road trip with a hard−fought 11−10 victory over a Haverford College squad that refused to go away after the Jumbos held the lead for much of the game.
The Jumbos' spring break schedule, while challenging, provided an opportunity for the team to bond and focus completely on lacrosse. The team chemistry is evident both on and off the field and has contributed significantly to the Jumbos' success.
"Since we've spent so much time together, we were all on the same page intensity−wise and were able to come together to play our game," Kozin said.
Moving forward, the Jumbos look to continue to translate their cohesive team dynamic into unity and fluidity on the field. The Jumbos will travel to Bates on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. matchup against the Bobcats as they look to continue their NESCAC success. With two NESCAC matchups in the next week against Bates and Wesleyan, this victory over Williams will serve as a springboard into the next stretch of the Jumbos' season.
"To prepare for the Bates game, we will be working to maintain our composure and intensity," Egan said. "We will focus on patience in attack and reducing the number of fouls in the eight on defense."
