After five games' worth of perfect, shutout defense to open up the 2008 campaign, the women's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday in a 3-1 road loss at the hands of the Amherst Lord Jeffs.
Tied for ninth in the nation heading into the game, the Jumbos were outshot 27-8 by Amherst, and the loss dropped Tufts to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the conference, moving them into third place in the NESCAC standings.
"We didn't play the aggressive, high pressure style that we normally like defensively," coach Martha Whiting said. "We didn't play the game that we probably should have played and could have played. They are a very good team and they played a very good game."
The Jumbos, who had outscored their opponents 10-0 going into Saturday's conference battle, gave up their first goal of the season at the 14-minute mark when Amherst freshman defender Jill Kochanek headed the ball into the net off a free kick.
Tufts struck back in the 20th minute when junior forward Ali Maxwell tied the game at one apiece. The goal came on a header off of a corner kick by freshman midfielder Lauren O'Connor.
"Lauren O'Connor took the kick, and I just ran toward the goalie as the ball came in. I was able to head it off of an Amherst player and in," Maxwell said.
The Jumbos saw several good scoring opportunities in the game, but they were unable to convert any of them into another goal against the Lord Jeffs' defense.
Despite trailing 12-4 in the total shot count in the first half, Tufts managed five corner kicks compared to just one for Amherst. They were unable, however, to take advantage of the disparity in corners and take the lead.
The game remained tied at one until the 63rd minute when Amherst scored on a header by junior midfielder Meg Murphy. The goal was Murphy's sixth of the season, putting her among the leaders in goals scored in the NESCAC.
Murphy alone accounted for eight of Amherst's 27 shots, one more than the entire Jumbo team managed on junior goalie Lili Ferguson and freshman goalkeeper Allie Horwitz, who notched two saves apiece, splitting the time in goal. Ferguson surrendered the lone goal to the Jumbos in the first.
As for Tufts' goalkeeping efforts, sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Jacobs had to leave because of an injury in the second half. Junior goalie Kate Minnehan, who had played the first half, went back into the game to replace her. Jacobs notched one save and gave up the game-winning goal before leaving the pitch, while Minnehan made four saves and allowed two goals on the day.
Amherst scored an insurance goal in the 79th minute on Minnehan to keep the Jumbos at bay. Lord Jeffs sophomore forward Jackie Hirsch notched her second assist of the match, a pass to senior forward/midfielder Stephanie Yesnik who scored the final goal of the match.
The loss comes less than a week after Tufts jumped from being unranked to No. 9 in the country. But the Jumbos aren't concerned, about a possible drop in the rankings that could come in the wake of their recent loss.
"Rankings change every week, and they don't really mean anything this early," Maxwell said. "There's a lot of season left to be played, and we're still really positive about the season."
Just three days earlier, Amherst had knocked off No. 16 Wheaton College in a come-from-behind victory, making the Lord Jeffs' upset of Tufts their second victory over a nationally-ranked team this week.
The 3-1 loss marked the first time since 2001 that the Jumbos lost to Amherst. That said, the Lord Jeffs always present a challenge to Tufts, which has competed in close contests against the Jumbos, including two ties in the last five years. This was also the first home victory for Amherst against Tufts since 2000.
The No. 6 regionally ranked Lord Jeffs will play Conn. College at home on Wednesday, while the Jumbos will play a non-conference road game against the Brandeis Judges tomorrow. Brandeis (6-3-1 overall) will present a test for a Tufts squad looking to rebound from their first loss of the season, though the Jumbos are currently riding a three-game winning streak over the Judges.
"Brandeis is usually very physical and athletic, while we tend to be a little more skillful and able to possess the ball," Whiting said. "They're a team that always plays us tough so we need to be able to play our best."
