The No. 1 ranked Tufts University field hockey team faced two tough challenges this weekend: No. 14 ranked Amherst and No. 11 ranked Hamilton. But the Jumbos extended their winning streak to an impressive 15 games since last season, making this their best start since 2009.
The weekend began Saturday against the Amherst Mammoths, where the Jumbos faced the first of their two ranked opponents. Both teams were coming off wins, Tufts a 2–0 win over No. 7 Babson and Amherst wins over MIT and No. 4 Williams.
Amherst controlled much of the possession in the opening quarter, with forward Genevieve Caruso getting an early chance in front of the goal, but Tufts’ defense kept the game scoreless. Neither team could find the back of the net in the first, setting up a tight match between two nationally ranked teams.
However, the Jumbos broke through the Mammoths’ defense with just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter. Junior midfielder Riley Schmidt drove baseline, then sent the ball up to the stroke, where senior forward Reagan Malo redirected it into the net, giving the Jumbos a 1–0 lead going into the half.
The Jumbos added to their lead in the third quarter. After earning three penalty corners, Tufts finally capitalized on the third opportunity, with senior midfielder Katarina Villa’s shot from the top of the circle giving the Jumbos a 2–0 lead.
However, the Mammoths did not go quietly in the fourth. They cut the deficit to one when midfielder Cate LaFreniere tipped a ground pass into the goal for her first goal of the season. The Mammoths kept pressure in the fourth, but the Jumbos held out for a 2–1 victory, improving their win rate to 9–0 for the season.
“Amherst is an amazing team and I feel like they always give us a battle,” said head coach Tina Mattera. “So I knew they were going to play us tough, and they did.”
Less than 24 hours after defeating Amherst, Tufts travelled to Clinton, N.Y. to face the No. 11 Hamilton Continentals. Hamilton was also coming off a game the previous day, having defeated No. 13 Wesleyan 2–1 in overtime.
Tufts struck first and quickly. A penalty corner led to a penalty stroke for Tufts, which senior defender Claire Casey took with 8 minutes left in the first quarter. Her shot to the left of the net flew past the Continentals’ goalie, giving the Jumbos a 1–0 lead early on. Both teams had opportunities in the second quarter, but neither could capitalize on any. The Jumbos carried their lead into halftime.
Hamilton eventually found an equalizer with four seconds left in the third quarter. Following a penalty corner, Tufts senior goalkeeper Isabel Ginns saved defender Morgan Clarke’s shot, but the rebound found Hamilton forward Shaw Huston near the left post. Huston poked the ball into the net for her second goal of the season, tying the game at 1–1.
Neither team could find a winner in the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime. Hamilton had a yellow card carry over into overtime, so they played shorthanded for the first four-plus minutes. With this, Tufts created scoring opportunities, but Hamilton goalkeeper Kelly Janssen made a save to keep the Continentals alive.
With three seconds remaining in overtime, the Jumbos got a penalty corner. A Hamilton foul during the play gave Tufts another corner with no time left on the clock. Sophomore forward Eleanor Helm tipped in Villa’s shot, giving Helm her 11th goal of the season and the Jumbos the 2–1 overtime victory against the Continentals.
Facing two ranked opponents is a challenge in and of itself, but Tufts faced these opponents on back-to-back days, adding another layer of difficulty. Mattera said the demanding stretch of travel and competition had left the team tired. She praised the players for “pushing through the exhaustion.”
This grit was paired with a team-wide effort. Rather than relying on one star player, the Jumbos have found contributions from different players in different moments throughout the season. Against Amherst, Malo and Villa provided the goals, while Casey scored against Hamilton before Helm finished the weekend by delivering the overtime winner. “There’s no stars,” Mattera said. “Everybody’s good and we’re all in it together and pushing for each other.”
That team mentality has also allowed Tufts’ younger players to learn from the team’s veteran leaders. Mattera pointed to the seniors’ leadership and the underclassmen’s willingness to follow their example as another crucial part in the team’s success thus far. “For Katarina to get the assist on the game winner on Sunday was really cool to see. I think she’s been really stepping up as a senior. Our seniors have been great leaders, and I think the underclassmen are just kind of following their lead, which has been great,” Mattera said.
These two victories brought Tufts to 10–0 on the season and extended their winning streak to 15 games dating back to last season. Looking ahead, all eyes are on next weekend’s tough matchup between No. 1 Tufts and No. 2 Middlebury, as Middlebury comes to Ounjian Field on Oct. 10 at 11 a.m. for the Jumbos’ senior day.
