On the day it celebrated the careers of seven seniors, the women's soccer team was reminded that its future is bright.
Sophomores Cara Cadigan, Ali Maxwell, Sara Raley and Fanna Gamal combined for 13 points in the Jumbos' 5-0 win over non-conference Keene State yesterday, improving the team's record to 10-2 heading into a critical NESCAC showdown at unbeaten Williams on Saturday.
Entering yesterday having converted on just one of its last 19 shots on goal, Tufts broke out of its offensive malaise, posting its best offensive day of the season. The Jumbos opened up a 3-0 lead less than 20 minutes into the game.
"We worked on finishing on Monday and Tuesday, specifically," coach Martha Whiting said. "We did a lot of shooting and a lot of finishing in pressure situations, and I think that really translated into the game. It really helped a lot."
Cadigan got the Jumbos rolling with two goals less than a minute apart to hand her team a 2-0 lead in the 14th minute. Having scored in all but two games this year, Cadigan now has a NESCAC-leading 13 goals in 2007, the most regular-season tallies by any Jumbo since at least 1981.
Maxwell, who assisted on Cadigan's second goal, found the back of the net herself in the 18th minute, increasing the Tufts lead to three heading into halftime.
Senior forward Lauren Fedore built the Tufts lead to 4-0 just over three minutes into the second half with a goal off a feed from Maxwell. Fedore, along with senior co-captains Martha Furtek and Annie Benedict and classmates Julia Brown, Jessie Wagner, Rebecca Abbott and Joelle Emery were recognized in a pregame ceremony as one of the program's most successful classes. The Class of 2008 has racked up 41 wins in four years, a .788 winning percentage against NESCAC opponents, and a Final Four appearance in 2005.
"I'm so happy for them," Whiting said. "They're such a special class, and they all contribute in different ways. They really deserved to finish on a great note. We'll play at home again [in the postseason], which is nice to know, but it was nice for them to come out on a win, and such a convincing win."
Raley rounded out the scoring in the 83rd minute, notching her first collegiate goal on Gamal's third assist of the game.
The Jumbos used their commanding lead as an opportunity to play their bench. Freshman goaltender Hannah Jacobs took over for sophomore starter Kate Minnehan at the start of the second half and made five saves to preserve the shutout.
For Tufts, the win offered redemption for a 5-2 loss to Keene State last season, in which the Owls got four goals from reserve players and broke the Jumbos' seven-game unbeaten streak.
"We definitely had that [loss] in our heads," Whiting said. "It was something that we talked a little about before the game, and it's something that you think about. When you're embarrassed like that, you really make an effort to come back at them."
The victory also served as a confidence boost for the Jumbos, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped in a tough loss to conference foe Trinity on Saturday, a game in which Tufts was shut out despite attempting 18 shots. The loss was the Jumbos' first NESCAC loss of the season, putting them at 6-1 in conference play heading into Saturday's showdown at first-place Williams.
The Jumbos, who beat Williams 1-0 at home last year, will be looking to upend the top-seeded Ephs. A win would put both teams at 6-1, in a tie for the top spot in the NESCAC, but Tufts' head-to-head win would put the Jumbos in prime position for their second regular-season conference title in the last three years.
"It's a huge game, and no one's trying to deny that it's going to decide a lot of things about the rest of the season," Emery said. "We know that we can't be nervous about it, so I think we're just going to come out and play our best, and if we do that, we can definitely beat them."
