The Tufts women's soccer team played down to the wire against another of the best teams in the NESCAC on Saturday. And, just like earlier in the season, the Jumbos were left wondering what might have been after losing 1-0 to the nationally ranked No. 1 Williams Ephs.
The Jumbos were on the precipice of handing the undefeated Ephs (11-0-0) their first loss of the season, or at least their first tie. But at the end of the day, the Jumbos were left with another one goal loss to a nationally ranked conference opponent, adding to two earlier defeats at now No. 20 Middlebury and home versus No. 11 Amherst.
The game-winner came off the foot of Ephs senior tri-captain Brianna Wolfson with less than five minutes left to play. Fellow senior captain Sarah Walmsley crossed the ball from the right side that got behind Tufts senior goalkeeper Kate Minnehan, and Wolfson pounced on the loose ball and tapped it into an open net for her fourth goal of the season and the game's only tally.
"Well, you never like to make excuses, but the reffing was pretty suspect," senior co-captain Whitney Hardy said. "The girl hit the ball with her hand and they didn't call it. They definitely had their chances, but the goal they scored was not really deserved, which was frustrating."
The goal ended the Jumbos' upset hopes and continued the Ephs astounding regular season unbeaten streak at 42 games. Williams is 41-0-1 since losing to Tufts 1-0 way back in 2006, and could make it three straight seasons without a loss versus Middlebury on Friday.
The Jumbos, however, were encouraged by their strong performance. Tufts stuck with the best team in Div. III for almost the entire game, and gave the Ephs a scare.
"We didn't really change anything as far as preparation goes," Hardy said. "We tried to focus on ourselves and not make any changes just because we were playing the supposed No. 1 team in the country."
The Jumbos did just that in the first half, keeping the best offense in the NESCAC in check and getting their fair share of offensive opportunities, while coping with a driving rain that made the field slick. The half was basically even, though Williams led in shots by a 10-6 margin.
"I think they definitely felt more threatened than they have all season," Hardy said. "From the very beginning you could tell they were a bit uneasy with the way it was going because it was pretty much back and forth the entire first half."
The second half was a different story, at least statistically. The Ephs had a 17-4 advantage on shots in the final 45 minutes and had their chances, hitting the post on one opportunity and having a good look stopped by a Jumbos defender. But despite the gap in shot total, the Jumbos still were in the game until the final minutes.
"I don't know what happened in the second half," Minnehan said. "I think it seemed like the shots were overwhelmingly different, but it wasn't like either side dominated. I was actually pretty surprised to know how many more shots they got because our defense was shutting them down every time they came down the field, which was so good to see. They had a great game."
Minnehan recorded 12 saves on the day, her highest total of the season, to help the Jumbos hold the Ephs to their lowest goal total of the season. With that result, and the way the Jumbos played earlier in the season versus Amherst and Middlebury, the team is excited to for the potential to matchup with a top NESCAC opponent again. As of now, the Jumbos are fourth in the conference, setting up a potential rematch with the Ephs if they get by their first-round opponent in the NESCAC tournament that begins Nov. 1.
"I think it makes us more excited to play any of them again because we know we can beat them and when games are that close it can go either way," Minnehan said. "I think that is what we come away with. We are so excited to get a chance to play them again because we could probably play them in the playoffs if we get that far."
However, the Jumbos will first have to take care of business versus the Bowdoin Polar Bears, currently 7-6 and 3-5 in the NESCAC. Tufts will not be taking its opponent lightly, knowing that a win will secure it the fourth spot in the conference and a chance to host a first round NESCAC Tournament game. The Jumbos might have to do it without their leading goal scorer, however, as Hardy suffered a hamstring injury at the end of Saturday's game that leaves her status in doubt.
"I pulled my hamstring, but I think I should be fine," Hardy said. "It happened the last five minutes of the game. I'm hopefully going to take a break Monday and Tuesday, practice Wednesday and play Friday."
The Jumbos on the whole are feeling as positive as a team could be coming off of what most would look at as a crushing defeat. The goal now is to keep up the team's strong play and head into NESCACs on the heels of a victory.
"I don't know if you would have known if we lost that game because even though we lost and people were upset, we were really happy that we played the way we were capable," Minnehan said. "We know how we look and feel when we play our best game, so when you know you put it all out there and played the best soccer you can play, it feels really good."
"We are peaking at the right moment right now," she continued. "I think we have had to overcome some injuries and some tough losses, but if we can get through that we can get through anything and I think going into the playoffs we are so excited."
David Heck contributed reporting to this article.
