Judging by its last two games, the No. 12 women's lacrosse team might appear to be heading in the wrong direction. After losing to then-No. 6 Colby by one goal over spring break, Tufts returned to campus only to get drubbed by No. 7 Middlebury, suffering its worst loss since the 2006 season to drop to 2-2 in NESCAC play.
But those losses have been almost completely erased from the team's collective memory, as the Jumbos look to rebound in a big way on Saturday at home against the No. 6 Trinity Bantams. The Bantams have been the class of the conference recently, winning the NESCAC regular season title in each of the last two seasons, including an undefeated 2011 campaign.
"Our mentality is that we have absolutely nothing to lose, and we know this is a huge game for our team," sophomore midfielder Kate Applegate said. "We hate Trinity. We are out to prove that we can compete with the best teams in the country."
The matchup is crucial for a number of reasons, most notably for its implications in the conference standings. Tufts now sits alone in sixth place, and desperately needs a win to get back on track in its effort to host a game in the NESCAC playoffs. Meanwhile, Trinity is 2-0 in the NESCAC and 5-0 overall, and the Bantams must remain undefeated to keep pace with Middlebury and Colby, who are tied atop the conference with the defending champs.
For the Jumbos, though, the game is more significant than most midseason conference contests against tough opponents. The game is an opportunity for redemption considering that Tufts lost to Trinity twice last year by one goal, with one of the defeats coming in the NESCAC semifinals.
"This is a defining game for our team," senior attackman Kelly Hyland said. "We know that they went undefeated last year and that we lost to them by one twice. We want to come out against Trinity and smoke them."
The Jumbos are hoping to bounce back from their 16-5 loss to the Panthers, in which their play seemed to run according to Murphy's Law. They have been doing all they can in practice to move past the defeat and correct some of the problems that have hindered their performance.
"We met [Tuesday] and we focused on getting back to basics, and more on how we operate as a team," Applegate said. "In the Middlebury game it was a lot of individual play, and that won't win games in the NESCAC. We need a team attack instead of individuals trying to score."
In order for the Jumbos to right the ship, they will have to contain Trinity's star attackman, junior Megan Leonhard, who torched Tufts for eight total goals in the teams' two meetings last year. Trinity has three players, including Leonhard, in the top seven in the conference in goals, meaning that the Tufts defense will need to bring a relentless effort to Bello Field to pull off the upset.
Tufts also must continue to overcome the absence of junior midfielder Casey Egan, who suffered a concussion against Conn. College on March 7 and has not played since.
"Casey is a huge part of the midfield transition and her absence is definitely felt, but it's also forced other players to step up," Applegate said. "We're learning that we can cope with it. That being said, I can't wait for her to get back in the lineup."
With a win, the Jumbos would be in the hunt to host a first-round playoff match. With a loss, though, they would have a sub-.500 record and be dragged into a battle for seventh or eighth place.
Judging by its last two games, the No. 12 women's lacrosse team might appear to be heading in the wrong direction. After losing to then-No. 6 Colby by one goal over spring break, Tufts returned to campus only to get drubbed by No. 7 Middlebury, suffering its worst loss since the 2006 season to drop to 2-2 in NESCAC play.
But those losses have been almost completely erased from the team's collective memory, as the Jumbos look to rebound in a big way on Saturday at home against the No. 6 Trinity Bantams. The Bantams have been the class of the conference recently, winning the NESCAC regular season title in each of the last two seasons, including an undefeated 2011 campaign.
"Our mentality is that we have absolutely nothing to lose, and we know this is a huge game for our team," sophomore midfielder Kate Applegate said. "We hate Trinity. We are out to prove that we can compete with the best teams in the country."
The matchup is crucial for a number of reasons, most notably for its implications in the conference standings. Tufts now sits alone in sixth place, and desperately needs a win to get back on track in its effort to host a game in the NESCAC playoffs. Meanwhile, Trinity is 2-0 in the NESCAC and 5-0 overall, and the Bantams must remain undefeated to keep pace with Middlebury and Colby, who are tied atop the conference with the defending champs.
For the Jumbos, though, the game is more significant than most midseason conference contests against tough opponents. The game is an opportunity for redemption considering that Tufts lost to Trinity twice last year by one goal, with one of the defeats coming in the NESCAC semifinals.
"This is a defining game for our team," senior attackman Kelly Hyland said. "We know that they went undefeated last year and that we lost to them by one twice. We want to come out against Trinity and smoke them."
The Jumbos are hoping to bounce back from their 16-5 loss to the Panthers, in which their play seemed to run according to Murphy's Law. They have been doing all they can in practice to move past the defeat and correct some of the problems that have hindered their performance.
"We met [Tuesday] and we focused on getting back to basics, and more on how we operate as a team," Applegate said. "In the Middlebury game it was a lot of individual play, and that won't win games in the NESCAC. We need a team attack instead of individuals trying to score."
In order for the Jumbos to right the ship, they will have to contain Trinity's star attackman, junior Megan Leonhard, who torched Tufts for eight total goals in the teams' two meetings last year. Trinity has three players, including Leonhard, in the top seven in the conference in goals, meaning that the Tufts defense will need to bring a relentless effort to Bello Field to pull off the upset.
Tufts also must continue to overcome the absence of junior midfielder Casey Egan, who suffered a concussion against Conn. College on March 7 and has not played since.
"Casey is a huge part of the midfield transition and her absence is definitely felt, but it's also forced other players to step up," Applegate said. "We're learning that we can cope with it. That being said, I can't wait for her to get back in the lineup."
With a win, the Jumbos would be in the hunt to host a first-round playoff match. With a loss, though, they would have a sub-.500 record and be dragged into a battle for seventh or eighth place.
