This weekend, the women's soccer team is going from one rivalry to the next.
Fresh off their 2-0 victory over nationally-ranked No. 8 Wheaton Wednesday afternoon, the Jumbos will host Bates tomorrow on Kraft Field. No one on Tufts' roster has ever lost a Homecoming game.
The goal for the weekend will be to keep the team's season-opening streak rolling. The Jumbos have recorded shutouts in each of their first three games, including two against NESCAC foes Colby and Conn. College.
"It will be a total team effort," coach Martha Whiting said. "There can't be any individual players; it's all about playing as a team, working as a team and winning as a team."
The Jumbos have had the upper hand in regular season games against Bates for the past four years, beginning the streak with a win in 2004. But the victories have hardly come easily, as Tufts was pushed to double overtime in 2005 and squeaked by with 1-0 wins in each of the past two seasons.
While Tufts may have history on its side in the regular season, Bates has had the last laugh in postseason play. In both 2005 and 2006, the Bobcats eliminated the Jumbos from the conference tournament with deflating overtime losses, each time in Medford.
"Those regular season games might have been wins, but I think the games are always really competitive," Whiting said. "We always have to slug it out for 90 minutes and work hard until the end."
Given the teams' extensive history, tomorrow's contest promises an exciting bout.
"We need to play our game, we need to play smart, and we need to play hard," Whiting said. "If we do, I think we will get the right result."
