A powerful blend of strong returning players and talented new recruits turned out to be the proper formula for the men's tennis team, which opened its season on Saturday when it crushed Salve Regina, 9-0.
After a lackluster first day that landed the golf team in 13th place out of 16 teams at the weekend's Williams Invitational, the Jumbos stepped up and proved something to themselves on the second day of competition.
The mark of good competitors is their ability to rebound and regain their composure after a setback, and that's exactly what the sailing team did this past weekend at the Hatch Brown Trophy at MIT.
It was supposed to be simple. It was supposed to be easy.
21 - Games the men's tennis team lost in their season-opening win over Salve Regina College. The Jumbos enjoyed a dominant performance in their first matchup of the year, with two freshman shutting out their opponents in their first ever collegiate matches, and cruised to a 9-0 shutout over the Seahawks without dropping a single set in the nine matches.
"There's no place like home," Dorothy once told us as she clicked the heels of her ruby slippers and longed for Kansas. The Tufts volleyball team apparently didn't need to watch "The Wizard of Oz" to find that out, as the Jumbos christened their new home court at the renovated Cousens Gymnasium with two dominant wins over the weekend.
"There's no place like home," Dorothy once told us as she clicked the heels of her ruby slippers and longed for Kansas. The Tufts volleyball team apparently didn't need to watch "The Wizard of Oz" to find that out, as the Jumbos christened their new home court at the renovated Cousens Gymnasium with two dominant wins over the weekend.
Coming off a heartbreaking double-overtime loss at Eastern Connecticut State last Tuesday, the men's soccer team entered Saturday's home opener against NESCAC rival Amherst looking for its first victory of the season. But even though the nationally ranked No. 2 Lord Jeffs handily toppled the Jumbos 4-0, the members of the Tufts squad were still upbeat in spite of their 0-3 record.
Coming off a heartbreaking double-overtime loss at Eastern Connecticut State last Tuesday, the men's soccer team entered Saturday's home opener against NESCAC rival Amherst looking for its first victory of the season. But even though the nationally ranked No. 2 Lord Jeffs handily toppled the Jumbos 4-0, the members of the Tufts squad were still upbeat in spite of their 0-3 record.
The Tufts women's soccer team won its first game of the season last Tuesday versus Keene State, but its first NESCAC victory has been more difficult to achieve. Another opportunity fell to the wayside on Saturday afternoon when nationally ranked No. 5 Amherst dashed the Jumbo's upset hopes 1-0.
Facing the Amherst Lord Jeffs in its first NESCAC home game of the season, the field hockey team lit up Bello Field by accomplishing a number of offensive and defensive feats
Despite a frustrating 0-2 start to the 2009 season, the men's soccer team still has high hopes for its season. But a matchup with mighty Amherst — currently the top-ranked Div. III team in New England and No. 2 team in the nation per the National Soccer Coaches Association of America — means the Jumbos will need to pull off an upset to avoiding starting the year off 0-3. That prospect does not seem so farfetched, however, given the way Tufts has played thus far this season. The Jumbos opened their schedule last Saturday with a disappointing 1-0 NESCAC loss to No. 4 Middlebury, but they demonstrated their defensive strength by holding the Panthers to only five shots in the game. On Tuesday, Tufts lost a non-conference double-overtime heartbreaker against the region's No. 2-ranked Eastern Connecticut Warriors. Despite Tufts' possession of an early 2-0 lead, the Warriors climbed back to tie it up before netting the game winner with 22.7 seconds remaining in sudden death overtime. "They got lucky with 22 seconds left," senior tri-captain Bear Duker said. "A tie would've been a fair end to that game. It's unfortunate because we've played well — we just haven't gotten the results." It was, however, a step in the right direction for the Jumbos, who broke the seal offensively with 10 shots in the game compared to only one against Middlebury. Three near misses by the Jumbos almost ended the game in the first minutes of overtime, as junior Alex Lach sent a shot just wide left and Eastern keeper sophomore Carl Appel blocked two more opportunities from Lach and junior Ben Green minutes later. Still, the Jumbos are confident that tomorrow's game will go differently, and they refuse to let their record affect their mindset. "Our first games are arguably our hardest, so 0-2 doesn't mean anything," junior tri-captain Naji Muakkassa said. Muakkassa said the team is "anxious" to get out on its home field and win in front of friends and family. History is not on the Jumbos' side, however, as they have struggled against Amherst in the past, going 3-8-1 in their last 12 meetings — including a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the Lord Jeffs last year. "We haven't beaten Amherst since I've been here, and we have a good shot on Saturday," Duker said. "We're looking forward to playing at home in front of Tufts fans." "We have played our last two games on turf, but we play better on grass," sophomore defenseman Rafael Ramos-Meyer added. "Home-field advantage will be big." The Jumbos will have another possible edge over Amherst tomorrow, as they boast the more experienced squad. Tufts graduated only two players during the off-season: goalkeeper David McKeon (E '09) and defenseman Peter DeGregorio (LA '09). The Lord Jeffs, on the other hand, graduated eight seniors last year, and they have 13 first-years on their roster this season. Furthermore, Amherst suffered the loss of sophomore Jae Heo, who will miss the team's next two seasons to serve in the South Korean navy. Heo scored all three goals in last year's matchup with the Jumbos and had 28 points on the season — second in the NESCAC only to former teammate and graduate Jake Duker, the brother of Tufts' Bear Duker. One setback for the Jumbos will be the loss of the aforementioned Duker, who is out with a torn meniscus. He hopes to be back by next Wednesday, but the two-time captain will miss tomorrow's competition at the least. Nonetheless, with the return of almost all their players from last year, Tufts has had an entire off-season to improve and correct the offensive issues it faced last year. "We keep building on what we've done," Ramos-Meyer said. "Saturday should be a good day for us." Muakkassa agrees that they're not letting the past get in the way of a potential home-opener victory. "If you dwell on it, it will bring you down," Muakkassa said. "You just have to rebound the best way you can. We have to come out and prove to ourselves and the rest of the league we can compete with the best."
Boasting the top-seeded players in both the singles and doubles draws, the women's tennis team is headed to Cambridge, Mass. this morning to participate in the season-opening Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Championships. The Jumbos will send a total of five representatives to the tournament, which begins today with first- and second-round action and continues through Sunday's championship rounds. Junior tri-captain Julia Browne is the defending champion and No. 1 seed in the singles draw, which features 64 of the top players in the region. In addition, Tufts' tandem of Browne and senior tri-captain Meghan McCooey received top billing on the doubles side after reaching the finals of the event a year ago. "When I looked at the draws, I was honored to be seeded first," Browne said. "When I go into a tournament seeded, it always puts a little bit of pressure on me because of what people are expecting, but I try to just forget that when I got out there because everyone I play against is going to be a tough match. My draw isn't going to be easier than anyone else's." McCooey, looking to improve upon a quarterfinal run she put together in 2007, is the No. 6 seed on the singles side. Also representing Tufts in the singles field are junior Edwina Stewart and a pair of freshmen, Janice Lam and Lindsay Katz, who will be making their collegiate debuts. "I think it's a great opportunity for both the freshmen to be able to play in this tournament and see the other schools and the other players," Browne said. "These are some of the strongest players in the conference and in the region. They're probably going to have some nerves with this being their first college match, but they're both very good players, so hopefully they go into the tournament and make some noise." Opposite Browne and McCooey's half of the doubles draw is the Jumbos' other representative team in the field, the first-time pairing of Katz and Stewart.
After a crushing overtime loss to Middlebury last Saturday, the Tufts women's soccer team had to compose itself quickly as Keene State came to Medford on Tuesday afternoon. But with a 2-0 victory in that game, it is clear that the Jumbos have righted the ship before heading into another key conference battle. The weekend should bring a tougher test for Tufts as Amherst, ranked No. 2 nationally in Div. III, comes to Kraft Field tomorrow afternoon. "We really want to come out on top of the NESCACs and playing Amherst is a great test to see how well prepared we are," senior co-captain forward Cara Cadigan said. But before this Saturday's contest with the Lord Jeffs, Tufts had business to settle with Keene State, which beat the Jumbos 5-4 last year. Defense was the key in Tuesday's game against the Owls, as Tufts was able to shut down a Keene State offense that had scored 20 goals in its first five games. "Our defense really tightened up and played really well, especially compared with the Middlebury game," junior midfielder Geneva DeGregorio said. After heading into halftime tied at zero, Tufts dominated play in the second half before finally breaking through with Cadigan's first goal of the season in the 81st minute. Six minutes later, senior forward Ali Maxwell iced the game with a bending ball placed beautifully on the back post. For Cadigan, it was a much-anticipated return to the scorer's book after an injury-plagued season last year. "It was a great feeling," Cadigan said. "It's good to know that I can still score. And it was great to get a win after coming off such a tough loss." In Tuesday's game, the box score did not do justice to the Jumbos' level of play on the field. Tufts dominated the field, keeping possession of the ball and appearing more comfortable to go forward than its opponents. Keene, on the other hand, failed to find a rhythm offensively and was outshot by Tufts 21-3. The Owls' offensive struggles can largely be credited to the excellent work of the Jumbos' backline. "A big thing was that we outshot them 21-3," Cadigan said. "While we didn't get too many shots against Middlebury, we were really able to get the ball down the field in this game and get shots off." With Keene State now in the rearview mirror, Tufts has its sights set on this weekend's matchup with rival Amherst. The Lord Jeffs, as always, field a strong team that expects to compete not only for a NESCAC title, but also in the NCAA tournament. Amherst returns most of its offensive firepower from a year ago, led by reigning NESCAC Player of the Year senior tri-captain forward Meg Murphy, who scored 13 goals last year and has been First-Team All-NESCAC for all three years of her career at Amherst. Both Amherst forwards, juniors Kyla Woodhouse and Jackie Hirsch, are talented and dangerous, each with the ability to set up shots for themselves and for teammates. "What makes Amherst good is that they're really solid at every position, they have a deep bench and they always come ready to play," DeGregorio said. While Amherst has three new starters on defense, the team was impressive in its only match so far this season, which ended with a 3-0 victory over Bowdoin last Saturday. Cadigan believes the key to the game will be attacking Amherst's backline. "It'll be a really tough game, but we should pull through if we generate enough offense against them because we didn't really test their defense last year," Cadigan said. The Jumbos believe they can match Amherst at every position and are anxious for the chance to prove it, especially in front of what is expected to be a raucous crowd for Tufts' first NESCAC home game. "It's going to be really intense. Our goal is to go undefeated on Kraft and we hope to do so," Cadigan said. Tufts will try to replicate the results of Amherst's last visit to Medford, when the Jumbos, behind a Cadigan goal and a stout defense, took down the Lord Jeffs 1-0. "It's simply a matter of playing our game and not letting them dictate how the game will be played," DeGregorio said. "We always come ready to play Amherst, but we can't treat them any differently."
With the 2009 season set to begin this weekend, the men's tennis team finds itself in an unenviable spot: outside the national rankings. After losing to MIT 6-3 in April to close out the season, Tufts dropped out of the 30th and final spot in the Div. III standings. But with a strong returning roster, the Jumbos have their sights set on climbing back up the ladder and firmly entrenching themselves on the national scene before the lengthier spring campaign begins. "We are one of the only men's teams on campus that is consistently nationally ranked," senior Daniel Landers said. "We'll have a lot of opportunities to regain a national ranking this fall, especially with our matchup against MIT." Sophomore Kai Victoria said the team is eager to launch itself back into the rankings, especially if it means getting revenge on MIT. "We want to get our ranking back this season," Victoria said. "That's one of our biggest goals, and hopefully we'll be able to redeem ourselves against MIT this fall." With the MIT match looming large in players' eyes, Tufts will have a few opportunities to size up its team, beginning tomorrow afternoon with a visit to Salve Regina. The Jumbos will be mixing in some new recruits to go along with their strong returning group. "The core of our team is still here," Landers said. "With [junior] Jake [Fountain], [junior] Tony [Carucci], who is abroad now, [senior] Andrew [Rosen] and [senior] Bryan [Wilner], that's four starts in singles. Kai and [sophomore] Sam Laber are both back. Our starting lineup last year is basically intact and we should be competitive." But senior Jon Trott, who was sometimes the No. 1 singles player last year, and junior Jared Glick have left the team. Tufts has added a number of freshmen, though, and the team is excited to see how the newcomers will contribute. With Carucci — who played anywhere between the second and sixth spots last year — gone for the fall, and Trott and Glick not returning, there is an opportunity for different players to make an impact early on. "I've played against many of the recruits and they are definitely going to add skill and talent to our team, especially in doubles," Victoria said. "We have some recruits starting in the singles lineup and two of them are actually playing together on a doubles team." Tufts will be shuffling its roster early on as coach Doug Eng gets a feel for what the team will have to offer this season. Laber, last year's No. 6 player, will be starting out at the top of the ladder at No. 1 singles, but any spot could change as the season progresses and the freshmen work their way into matches. Sophomores like Laber and Victoria, who will be at No. 1 doubles and third in the singles ladder, will also play a more important role this year. Though they will not face the highest level of competition in the fall, the Jumbos will be gearing up for a competitive spring season. This will include conference matches within the NESCAC, in which the Jumbos went 3-5 last year. Tufts hopes that its depth in both singles and doubles will translate to more success against conference foes this year. "I think in singles we have a lot of depth, but other NESCAC schools are extremely competitive," Victoria said. "I would have to say, at this point, that our doubles lineup will be showing a lot of strength and depth. We're good enough that we can compete with any school." Landers added that Tufts could benefit from softer competition in the conference. "Some NESCAC teams have lost some of their best players," he said. "Bates, for instance, has lost their No. 1 singles player, who made up their No. 1 doubles team as well. That'll be a big hole for them to fill. If we take advantage of the teams that have lost players we may be able to get an extra win or two with the strength of our team this year." But Tufts will first focus on getting in the swing of things with its matches in the fall. With more dual matches, in addition to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships at Williams next weekend, the Jumbos have a chance to set a solid foundation for the rest of the year. "The fall is meant for team building: welcoming the freshman, getting them some match experience and getting their feet wet with some less competitive opponents," Landers said. "We aren't too worried about our fall schedule, because we've been able to beat them in the past with our secondary squad. However, they should be fairly competitive matches and it'll be an adjustment with our new recruits playing." Michael Spera contributed reporting to this article.
After a offseason of wheeling and dealing, the NFL regular season is finally upon us. And the initial weekend offered the first chance to see a host of players make their debuts in new homes.
Following the unexpected and likely season-ending hip injury to top runner and All-American junior Steph McNamara, classmate Amy Wilfert claimed that the women's cross country team was "more than ready to step up." If Saturday's Trinity Invitational was any indication, the Jumbos will be just fine.
Junior Amy Wilfert claimed the first cross country victory of her collegiate career on Saturday at the Trinity Invitational. For her efforts, she garnered the season's inaugural NESCAC Performer of the Week award.
The field hockey team began the day upset about its latest snub in the NFHCA coaches' poll and nearly ended it victim to a major upset.
Long Island Sound's notoriously shifty breezes were, simply put, devastating to the sailing team this past weekend at the Harry Anderson Trophy at Yale.
