The No. 7 Tufts field hockey team entered a busy weekend set on redemption after an overtime loss Wednesday to Babson College. On Saturday, Tufts returned home to Ounjian Field to face Hamilton before traveling to New London to take on Connecticut College.
“Hamilton is always a great matchup,” junior midfielder Claire Casey wrote in an email to the Daily. “Since they play the same formation as us, we knew it would come down to execution. The main focus for us was sticking to our system and being disciplined on both sides of the ball.”
After a stalemate first period where neither team could break through, the second saw much more action at both ends of the field. Hamilton earned an early penalty corner one minute and 41 seconds into the second period, but senior goalkeeper Lydia Eastburn made an impressive save. Hamilton seemed to be controlling the pitch by applying relentless pressure, anticipating Tufts’ passes and beating them to the ball. However, the Jumbos persisted and eventually found a hole in the defense. After driving into the circle, first-year midfielder Eleanor Helm expertly threaded the ball between the goalie’s legs, scoring unassisted — the third goal of her collegiate career. Taking the first lead of the game, the Jumbos were newly motivated, turning up the intensity. Hamilton had the chance to tie it up seconds before halftime with another corner, but Tufts’ impenetrable defense once again held strong.
The beginning of the second half saw a return to a defensive battle between the two aggressive teams, as both held firm against their opponents’ advances. Both sides had a penalty corner in the opening minutes of the third period, but neither converted. Tufts earned its second corner opportunity of the quarter with about two minutes remaining, thanks to junior midfielder Lilly Ragusa. Ragusa inserted the ball and made her way to the post, where she skillfully redirected a powerful shot from Casey into the back of the cage.
Hamilton worked desperately to close the two-point gap during the final 15 minutes, earning three penalty corners and taking three shots — all denied as Tufts’ defense secured the shutout.
“That win gave us a chance to celebrate what we did well, but it also showed us areas we can keep improving. Even though we got the result, we know there is always room to grow, and that mindset is what pushes us forward,” Casey wrote.
After a quick turnaround from the 2–0 victory, the Jumbos were back on the road in Connecticut. Both Tufts and Connecticut College entered Sunday’s matchup coming off wins the day before, the Camels having just beaten the Colby White Mules in overtime.
“I think Saturday’s win gave us some momentum and confidence, but we also knew we couldn’t rely on that alone. We had to reset, recover quickly, and come out ready to battle again [on Sunday],” Casey wrote.
That rest and recovery definitely paid off as Tufts set the tone for the game, playing fast, dominating possession and applying pressure to Connecticut’s defense from the first whistle. Within the first period, Tufts had already earned four penalty corners and taken two shots on goal, despite being unable to convert any of them.
The Camels earned their first corner of the game about a minute into the second period. From this, they drew another corner, where defender Serena Moore maneuvered the ball around Eastburn, allowing forward Elizabeth Bonner to finish it.
Connecticut enjoyed the lead for all of one minute and 40 seconds before Tufts found an equalizer. After the Camel goal, the Jumbos seemed to be newly energized and hungry to score. On the Jumbos’ sixth penalty corner, Casey once again fired a high-velocity shot that was deflected in by senior forward Hannah Biccard.
Less than five minutes later, sophomore forward Hannah Murray carried the ball into the circle before masterfully scoring unassisted for her first goal of the season, extending Tufts’ lead. Connecticut College worked to respond to Tufts’ back-to-back goals and regain the lead, but had no success.
Tufts dominated the third period, earning an outstanding 12 penalty corners. Connecticut’s defense, however, remained impressively unyielding, blocking every attempt despite the constant barrage. Tufts also smothered Connecticut's efforts to even the score.
The fourth period was similar to the third, with Connecticut advancing the ball more but conceding only two fruitless corners to the Jumbos. The Camels earned a final chance to close the gap on a corner with 30 seconds remaining in the game but could not get a shot off.
This weekend highlighted Tufts’ exceptional defense. Seven games into the season, the Jumbos have allowed only six goals while scoring 19, with contributions from nine different players.
Now 5–2 overall and 3–1 in the conference, the Jumbos have some time to recover before another two-game home stand next weekend against Wesleyan and the University of Rochester.
