This weekend, the field hockey team will go head-to-head with the Bantams of Trinity. This game is a must-win for Tufts in order to go into the final third of the season confident of a post-season playoff birth.
"We have to beat Trinity this weekend," coach Carol Rappoli said. "That will pretty much guarantee us a spot in the playoffs."
The Bantams (1-7, 1-4) are having a dismal season thus far, recording their first win last weekend against NESCAC competitors Conn. College (1-7, 0-4). Despite the fact that Trinity appears to be a beatable team, it should provide the Jumbos with a number of obstacles that will stand in the way of a win.
One of the most visible challenges will be the playing surface. Directly before Saturday's game, Trinity will be dedicating its new Robin L. Sheppard Field, which is artificial turf. In response to the change of venue, the Jumbos have been holding indoor practices this week, in order to be better prepared for the changes the turf will bring to the game.
Momentum of a game can easily make the difference between a winning team and a losing team and as far as this weekend goes, it is Trinity who has the upper hand. The Bantams will be riding a wave of enthusiasm, coming from last weekends charged overtime win as well as the dedication of the new field.
"Trinity is coming off of their first NESCAC win this week. They are going to be emotional and I think they will prove to be a tough opponent," Rappoli said.
The Jumbos are coming off their fourth straight loss of the season to Bowdoin last weekend, and are in the midst of a shooting dry spell. The team's last goal was notched in a 1-0 victory over Conn. College on Sept. 21. Defensively, the team has been able to shut down the opposing offense, gaining 1-0 victories.It is impossible,however, to win games when the ball hasn't found the back of the net.
"The scores are a reflection of opportunities missed, so we have just kept working on it," Rappoli said.
The Jumbos aren't allowing their past four outings to bring them down, however.
"We are leaving those games behind us," senior tri-captain Laura Hacker said. "We are taking what we can from them to improve on and really just trying to pick up the intensity."
In order to account for the recent slump, Rappoli has shifted around the lineup in order to change things up. Also, the Jumbos have been pushing themselves in practice, behind the leadership of senior tri-captains, Dana Chivvis, Ursula Stahl, and Hacker.
"All of the captains have really been stepping it up and our practices have been really good this week," Rappoli said. "We had a day off yesterday and I know we're going to be ready to have a good weekend."
Trinity's biggest challenge to the offense is going to come from their goaltender, junior Gwen Gillespie, who leads the NESCAC in saves with 9.63 saves per game. The Jumbos scoring woes will not be made any easier. Also a threat will be junior forward Kristen Grabowski who is the leading Bantam scorer, and just won NESCAC player of the week for her game-saving goal against Conn. College. The Jumbos are confident in their abilities however, and are ready to beat this team.
"We have all the skills needed," Hacker said. "Now that we have picked up our intensity, we are going to go out and play well."
The top six teams in the NESCAC conference earn the right to continue into the post season. Right now, Tufts is seated at a shaky sixth-place ranking. The battle for fifth sixth and seventh place is a close one, with Bates (3-2) holding onto fifth by a half game. The Jumbos are right on the Wildcats toes, holding their own with a 2-2 record in NESCAC play. Colby, however, cannot be counted out of the race either, giving the Jumbos no room to breathe with a 2-3 record.
Tufts will not have an easy time maintaining or improving its position. After the Trinity game, the Jumbos will go on to face three of the more challenging teams in their league. First will come Wesleyan, (3-1), a team that is fourth place in the league, but only because there is a three-way tie for first. Next, Tufts will take on both Middlebury (4-1) and defending champion Williams (4-1). Both of these teams are tied for first place along with Bowdoin. The difficulty in the schedule is one more reason why the Jumbos are in a must win situation in order to keep a foot in the door for a post-season.
"We are a skilled team and we've picked up our intensity," Hacker said. "So we are ready for a big game this weekend."
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