The defending national champions and sixth-ranked field hockey team did not recapture the fairytale ending it had hoped for Saturday, falling to No. 3 Salisbury University 1-0 on a heart-wrenching final-minute goal. For the Jumbos, the loss marked the end of the season, and for four seniors, the end of their careers.
Meanwhile, the host Seagulls advanced to the round of eight, which pitted them against Wellesley College on Sunday afternoon. Ironically, Salisbury moved on to play the same Wellesley team that the Jumbos defeated 1-0 on the road earlier in the season.
The game was cagey from the beginning. In the opening minutes, the Jumbos and Seagulls traded possessions at midfield until Salisbury finally worked the ball into its offensive zone and began to pressure Tufts' defenders.
Junior netminder Bri Keenan was forced to make several close saves for the Jumbos, including a few over her head as Seagulls forwards tried to aerial the ball into the cage.
By the end of the first half, Salisbury built a 12 to five advantage in shots and had also worked to earn five penalty corners.
But shortly before halftime, Tufts' offensive unit began to put the pieces together, eventually earning three penalty corners of its own.
The Jumbos' best chances to score came in that period of the game, as the Tufts offense fired five shots at junior Rachel Clewer in the last 10 minutes of the half. Senior All-American midfielder Emily Cannon and sophomore midfielder Dakota Sikes-Keilp each took aim on goal but could not find a hole in the Salisbury defense.
Picking up where they left off, the Jumbos came out of the intermission full of fire. Tufts hustled to push the ball upfield, but still found no answer for Clewer and her defense. At the other end, the Seagulls' trio of first-year forward Yumi Kim, junior forward Mallory Elliot and sophomore Courtney Jantzen kept Jumbo defenders Colleen Golja and Alexandra Jamison on their toes.
The minutes continued to fly by and still no team managed to find the back of the boards. As the final 10 minutes closed out, it appeared that the Jumbos and Seagulls might be forced to settle the score in overtime, or even penalty strokes.
With less than two minutes remaining, however, the Jumbos worked the ball into the 16-meter circle and earned a penalty corner. Cannon got a touch on the ball and attempted to slide it past Clewer, but the Seagulls' defenders were there to block her path.
As most of Tufts' players pressed up, hoping to notch a quick goal and avoid overtime, Salisbury collected the ball and broke through Tufts' ranks. In seconds, Jantzen brought the ball downfield and into the right wing before connecting with junior midfielder Summer Washburn on a cross.
Jantzen's pass slipped through the last lines of Tufts' defense and into Washburn's hands as she waited by the near post. The midfielder then beat Keenan, who had played cool under pressure all afternoon, but could do nothing to stop the quick one-on-one putaway.
The Seagulls had pulled ahead with just 32 seconds remaining in the contest. With a half a minute left to play, the Jumbos already knew their fate was sealed, but nevertheless tried one more time to push the ball into the 16-meter circle. Instead, Cannon's long-ball drifted out of bounds and time expired on Tufts' season, as the desperation finally sunk in.
Although the season didn't end how we wanted, I am extremely proud of the team and what we accomplished this year," co-captain Steph Wan said. "This team was an incredibly talented group of girls who worked hard to improve every single day."
For three of the team's seniors, co-captains Chelsea Yogerst and Wan, as well as midfielder Katy McConnell, the game marked the last time they would lace up to play collegiate field hockey.
For Cannon, the end of her career comes this weekend, after she plays in the All-Star game located at the same Virginia Beach site that will host the final rounds of the NCAA tournament. The opportunity, although an honor, is bittersweet.
"We played so hard against Salisbury and I couldn't have asked for a more awesome or harder working team to spend my last season with," Cannon said. "These last four years have been unforgettable
