Sports
Women's Swimming & Diving | Jumbos impress at Nationals, ending season on high note
March 24The women's swim team wrapped up its season this weekend, sending four representatives to Shenandoah, Texas, to compete in the NCAA Div. III Championships.
Womens Swimming & Diving | Jumbos impress at Nationals, ending season on high note
March 24The womens swim team wrapped up its season this weekend, sending four representatives to Shenandoah, Texas, to compete in the NCAA Div. III Championships.
Womens spring break preview | Teams to spend break hard at work
March 14While much of the student body will be vacationing, visiting friends or spending time with family over spring break, athletes at Tufts will be training with their teams in anticipation of the start of the spring season. Spring break is an important time for all of the Jumbos, as it provides an opportunity for players to practice and play games without the day-to-day rigors of classes and studying.
Women's Basketball | Record year leaves Tufts eager to improve
March 14To make a conclusion about the Tufts womens basketball teams 2013 season is a difficult endeavor.
Mens spring break preview | Spring season to hit full stride as teams travel for competition
March 14While spring teams such as mens lacrosse and sailing have already begun their 2013 campaigns, the majority of the Jumbos will officially kick off competition over the spring break.
Men's Lacrosse | Conn. College completes comeback, knocks off Jumbos 16-15
March 13A tough start to the season got worse for the 11th-ranked Tufts mens lacrosse team on Tuesday. After falling at home for the first time since 2009 at the hands of Hamilton, the Jumbos were unable to right the ship, losing away at NESCAC rival and 15th-ranked Conn. College, 16-15.
G.J. Vitale | Whos on First?
March 13I would make the argument that March brings sports fans the most joy out of any month of the year. Put aside your favoritism for a minute and bask in the glory that is Marchs sports schedule.
Womens Lacrosse | Defense clamps down on Camels in 11-5 win
March 13Following a season-opening loss to No. 12 Hamilton, the No. 18 womens lacrosse team headed into their home opener against Conn. College on Tuesday looking to turn things around. After that initial frustration, the Jumbos responded to the Camels, securing a dominant 11-5 victory to bring their overall and in-conference record to 1-1.Our team came out flat and we were not expecting their intensity to be so high, senior co-captain attacker Kerry Eaton said of the game against Hamilton. They were able to dictate the game rather than us setting the tone.So after getting out slowly against the Continentals, the Jumbos looked to start Tuesdays matchup at a much faster pace.And whether it was the motivation from the loss or the home crowd, the Jumbos were in command for the entire game: They never trailed, and their defense allowed the fewest goals in a game since 2005.On the offensive side, the Jumbos looked to have found an effective combination. Despite new and returning players filling in roles vacated by last years seniors, the midfield and attack showed a much-needed cohesiveness.Everyone has been very receptive to playing new roles on the team, Eaton said. We have a lot of players who are versatile and we are relying on many new starters who are fulfilling new roles.Eaton started off the scoring seven minutes in, and after an equalizer from the Camels, the Jumbos were able to take the lead for good when freshman attacker Brigid Bowser slotted in two free-position goals to bookend a three-goal barrage with sophomore attacker Kali DiGate.The Camels showed signs of life at the end of the first half when sophomore Lindsay Macdonald tacked on a goal with two minutes remaining to make it 4-2 going into the break.But back-to-back goals from juniors Eliza Halmo and Gabby Horner to start the second all but locked up the game for the Jumbos, as they took a 6-2 lead before finishing the game off with three straight goals from sophomore midfielder Lindsey Walker, Eaton and Halmo.On the defensive end, senior goalkeeper Tess Shapanka regained her grasp on the starting position after being pulled for sophomore Rachel Gallimore in the opener with a six-save performance.The team showed improvement on 50/50 balls, a major concern after failing to scoop up much-needed loose during the Hamilton game. The Jumbos controlled 61 percent of the draws and beat the Camels in groundballs, 12-11, led by senior defenseman Meg Bolands game-high total of five. Boland, classmate Collier Clegg and sophomore Emily Wright anchored the defense to its impressive performance.Competing in the toughest conference in Div. III has driven home the fact that each conference win should not be taken for granted, leaving the Jumbos pleased with their performance and their first victory.Every NESCAC game is critical, and we dont take any opponent lightly, Horner said before the game. In this league, any team has a chance of winning on any given day.The Jumbos will look to continue their winning ways on Friday when they host Babson for their first non-conference game of the season.
Men's Tennis | Jumbos ready to take on competitive NESCAC in spring 2013 season
March 13After an up-and-down campaign last year, the arrival of the spring season for the mens tennis team brings the opportunity for success against an ever-challenging NESCAC and to continue their growth from earlier this year.In the fall, the Jumbos began their 2012-2013 campaign on a high note, tallying some strong wins in individual matches at Middlebury, Williams and Bates, and sweeping a tough Coast Guard squad 9-0 in the first dual match of the year. According to coach Jaime Kenney, strong performances in the fall established a definite sense of momentum for Tufts heading into the conference portion of the schedule.'More than anything, the fall really gave the guys an opportunity to see where they needed to be in the spring, Kenney said. It motivated them to work hard in the offseason, and over the last few weeks, Ive been very impressed with their improvements. Well learn more during the season, but for now I really like what Im seeing.To supplement a core of five returning seniors, Kenney brought in the Tennis Recruiting Networks 8th best Div. III recruiting class in the nation this year. The incoming Jumbos already received useful match experience in a less competitive environment in the fall, but strong performances from all five freshmen will be critical to the success of the team going forward.Coming in, I felt lucky that I got to know the other freshmen really well and could adapt to the team dynamic quickly, freshman Jay Glickman said. The upperclassmen were very willing to accept the incoming recruiting class into the tennis family, and overall were psyched about our team this year.Led by senior tri-captains Andrew Lutz, Andrew McHugh and Mark Westerfield, the Jumbos did not take the break between seasons lightly. Even with six NESCAC teams among the NCAAs official top 30 rankings, the Jumbos are motivated to perform at the highest level against any and all competition.As a team, we definitely worked hard both on and off the court this winter, focusing on our fitness, conditioning and endurance, Glickman said. We all tightened up on different aspects of our game and zeroed in on areas that could use improvement.As they look at that daunting NESCAC slate, there isnt any one team they view as more important than the rest. According to Kenney, no matter the opponent, the goal for her players is to remember that improving every day will in itself lead to a successful season.This year, weve taken our talent up an entire level, and were committed to making Tufts a top team in the nation, Kenney said. Im psyched to see how the team competes, but at the end of the day, we need to make sure we know how to get better. That will get us where we need to be.The Jumbos will begin their season over spring break with two non-conference away matches against Brandeis and Chapman on March 16 and 19, after which they will head out to California to take on some of the nations best at Occidental and the Claremont Colleges, including NESCAC rival Amherst early next week.When asked about her teams chances to take home a NESCAC title, Kenney maintained that anything is possible with her up-and-coming group.I think that if the guys continue to work hard and theyre able to keep focus on the team, well definitely have the opportunities, Kenney said. Im incredibly impressed by this team, from the senior leadership to the maturity of the freshmen coming in.In addition to a normal conference schedule set for the month of April, Tufts will host a Div. I Big East school for the first time in program history, with Villanova coming to Medford on April 5.Im thrilled that we get to play against all levels of competition, and I think that it will definitely help us establish ourselves as a contender in our conference this year, Glickman said. We have a lot of depth and were excited to go out there and compete.
Jason Schneiderman | Stoppage Time
March 12A lot has been said about Nanis controversial red card in the 56th minute of Manchester Uniteds Champions League round of 16 match versus Real Madrid. Most agree it was the wrong call, since Nanis high boot into Alvaro Arbeloas chest was clearly a fair attempt at the ball and not an overly dangerous play.But no matter what fans, coaches, commentators or writers may want you to believe, officials never decide soccer matches. Surely they can influence outcomes, but at the end of the day, the players and coaches must take the majority of the responsibility. Once referee Cuneyt Cakir made the decision to show red, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had two options.Up one goal, he could have made tactical or personnel changes to tighten up the midfield and defense, leaving Madrid with little room to operate and making an equalizing goal very difficult. He could have been the calming force, reminding his team that they were still winning despite the bad call.Instead, Ferguson decided to react with indignation and anger, erupting from the bench and screaming at the officials. It wasnt exactly the composed, directive force United needed at this turning point in the match. On the other end, Real Madrid manager Jos Mourinho reacted immediately to the situation, subbing on attack-minded midfielder Luka Modric for defender Arbeloa. While berating the officials and complaining to his assistants, Ferguson made three confounding tactical changes, bringing on attack-minded players Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young nearly 20 minutes after losing Nani.After allowing only a powerful header to Cristiano Ronaldo in the first leg played away at the Bernebeau, and no goals in the first 65 minutes at Old Trafford, losing an offensive winger like Nani did not ruin the Manchester United defense. In fact, it is a common soccer cliche to say that being down against 10 men is more difficult than being down against 11 due to the more defensive style that the leading team has to play.Thus, when Michael Carrick overcommitted on Luka Modric, allowing him space to curl in a shot from 25 yards, it was not because Cakir made a poor decision to show a red card. Carrick simply demonstrated poor individual defending and Modric demonstrated every bit of his offensive quality. Three minutes later, poor defending doomed United again. Captain Nemanja Vidic failed to stop a cross from Gonzalo Higuain after allowing him space just outside the six-yard box. Brazilian right back Rafael, who was responsible for defending Ronaldo far-post, inexplicably lost sight of one of the top players in the world, allowing Real Madrids star to sneak behind the defense, and deflect the cross in for a goal. This three-minute stretch effectively ended the match, giving Real Madrid a berth into the quarterfinals. A day later, and given time to cool down, Ferguson had the following to say about the red card and his reaction.I was angry. Theres nothing wrong with losing your temper for the right reasons and those were the right reasons. I mirrored what every person in that ground felt. Knowing the damage it was going to do to my players, I think I did the right thing. In this respect, the manager is wrong. He did not do the right thing. He didnt need to feel sorry for himself and for his team. He needed to focus his teams energy into protecting a one-goal lead, which Ferguson, admittedly, completely failed to do.We lost our composure for that 10-minute period. We were all over the place. Indeed, the officials were not the reason Manchester United lost. Rather, poor defending and poor management were the primary causes.--JasonSchneidermanis a sophomore who is majoring in quantitative economics and computer science. He can be reached at Jason.Schneiderman@tufts.edu.
OpEd | Going local with World PEAS
March 12Chances are that by now youve heard that the act of eating is complicated. We are often barraged with messages to eat healthy, eat local and eat organic. While its great that so much attention is being paid to how our everyday decisions such as eating affect the world around us, this information can also be overwhelming. Often, once youve committed to a single way that you hope you can make a difference, say, investing in a community supported agriculture (CSA) share, you are still faced with a lot of options. While having perhaps too many CSA options is a good sign that so much progress has been made for local food systems, its become hard to tell them apart aside from how many weeks they operate and their price. As students with limited budgets and time, its not unreasonable for us to ask a CSA to provide the biggest bang for our buck.
Tufts softball primed for another successful season
March 12Tufts softball is coming off a remarkable season in which it won the NESCAC with a perfect 12-0 record, went 41-7 overall and tied for fifth place in the country at the NCAA Finals. Last year was a banner year for the Jumbos, but what they will do for an encore is yet to be seen.
Crew teams look to build off of fall strong season
March 12The mens and womens crew teams are coming off of strong fall campaigns and gearing up for the spring, where they will look to continue their improvement from the fall and parlay that success into impressive showings in the coming months.
Alexa Petersen | Jeminist: A Jumbo Feminist
March 12Its the (midterms) week before Spring Break, the job hunt has launched me and my housemates into a world of paralyzing selfdoubt and this column deadline is approaching quite quickly. What to write? I feel like how Richard Geres character in Runaway Bride (1999) must have felt when he was trying to think of something excellent to write but all he could do was scribble ideas on napkins and try to interview women who ride in limousines. Anyone? Great film.
