Last Saturday, Tufts field hockey, the then No. 7 overall team, took on then No. 5 Bates in a homecoming competition. Both teams went into the game with only one conference loss, with Tufts at No. 1 and Bates at No. 2 in the NESCAC.
In addition to homecoming, the Jumbos also celebrated Senior Day, honoring midfielder Camille Clarke, midfielder Jordan Pittignano, midfielder Gabby Sousa, forward Hannah Biccard and goalkeeper Lydia Eastburn. Over the seasons, this senior class has held an impressive overall record of 54–18 and 29–8 in the NESCAC.
After a cheerful Senior Day celebration, both teams took to the field, Tufts determined to maintain their lead in the conference, while Bates looked to knock the home team down. Tufts did not hesitate to apply offensive pressure, penetrating Bates’ defensive circle early to earn a penalty corner within the first two minutes of the game. However, the Bobcats’ defense remained strong after impressive saves. Tufts kept up the pressure, taking seven shots and earning three penalty corners in the first quarter, all of which were unsuccessful. Bates had a fast break with three minutes remaining in the quarter; however, in the 1v1 situation, Eastburn calmly came out of the goal to clear the ball out of the circle. The first frame ended scoreless as the Jumbos prevented the Bobcats from taking any shots.
Both teams went into the second period with their sights set on scoring. Tufts earned their fourth penalty corner nine and a half minutes into the quarter. The Jumbos managed to recover a missed reception, bringing it back into the circle for a shot by first-year forward Eleanor Helm, which earned the team a penalty stroke when the ball hit a defender’s foot on the goal line. Sophomore forward Hannah Murray squared up for the stroke against Bobcat goalie Ava Donohue. As soon as the whistle blew, Murray swiftly lifted the ball into the upper left corner before Donohue could even react, giving the Jumbos the first lead of the game.
Down by one, Bates seemed to come into the second half with renewed energy, applying more offensive and defensive pressure on Tufts, resulting in back-and-forth play for the beginning of the third quarter. About halfway through the quarter, Tufts earned their first penalty corner of the half thanks to junior midfielder Reagan Malo’s hustle. After some passing in the circle, the shot hit a Jumbo foot, causing a turnover. The Jumbos recovered possession and obtained another corner opportunity less than a minute later. Helm inserted the ball to junior midfielder Claire Casey for the shot, resulting in another corner. This time, Helm fed the ball to sophomore midfielder Eleanor Luft, who ripped the shot from the top of the circle right past the goalie into the back of the cage for her first goal of the season, extending Tufts’ lead.
After much effort, the Bobcats finally earned a penalty corner, which was upgraded to a penalty stroke after the umpires discussed and ruled an intentional back-stick by one of the Jumbo defenders. Tufts took Eastburn out of the goal to put junior goalkeeper Isabel Ginns in to take the penalty corner against defender Haley Dwight. Dwight mistook the shot, allowing Ginns to block it easily.
Determined to get a goal on the scoreboard, Bates earned a penalty corner 38 seconds later. The ball was inserted to Bobcats forward Brooke Moloney-Kolenberg who expertly dodged the first defender before sending the ball towards goal, managing to slip it past Eastburn, cutting the Jumbo lead to one. Bates, hungry for another goal, utilized the momentum from Moloney-Kolenberg’s goal to apply intense offensive pressure to earn three more corners, all of which were stopped by Tufts’ defense.
Amid the chaos, Tufts earned a penalty corner with 63 seconds left thanks to Helm. Junior midfielder Lilly Ragusa inserted the ball to Casey whose shot was deflected into the goal by Biccard, for her team-high 11th goal of the season. With 55 seconds left in the game, the Jumbos renewed their two-goal lead, securing their seventh NESCAC victory.
Now 10–2 overall and 7–1 in the conference, Tufts will travel to Vermont this Saturday to take on the reigning Division III national champions, Middlebury College. Malo wrote to the Daily, “Our big win against Bates gives us confidence heading into Saturday’s matchup with Middlebury. I think our team is getting better every week. Middlebury beat us in the national championship game last year and they are strong again this year.”
Last year, the Jumbos upset Middlebury in the regular season; however, when they faced them again in the NCAA finals they lost 2–1. The Panthers are No. 4 in the NESCAC at the moment with a 5–2 conference record. This is no doubt one of the most anticipated games of the regular season.
“It will be a great game, we are very excited for the challenge,” Malo wrote.
