With a crucial matchup against nationally ranked No. 2 Williams looming this weekend, Wednesday night's game against non-conference Salem State had the potential to be a trap game for the women's soccer team. The Jumbos, however, kept their focus on the Lady Vikings and came away with a 2-0 victory in their final non-conference contest of the season.
"[Losing focus] was definitely something we had to think about, but our game plan for this season has been focusing on what's important now and taking one game at a time," junior defender Sarah Nolet said. "So we just had to think about tonight and make sure we get [done] what we needed to get done."
The Jumbos, as they have throughout their current four-game undefeated streak in which they have gone 3-0-1, controlled the flow of the game, keeping possession for large stretches of time and not allowing Salem State to build any momentum. In anticipation of playing on the slick turf at Salem, Tufts, which usually practices and plays its home games on the grass of Kraft Field, practiced on Bello Field on Tuesday to acclimate itself to the faster surface — an adjustment that paid dividends on Wednesday night.
"We were playing on the ground well," Nolet said. "It was nice to practice on the turf [Tuesday] to get an idea of the surface, because we're not really used to it. I think we came out knowing that we had to play the ball on the ground with nice crisp passes to feet, and it worked."
After dominating possession for much of the opening half, Tufts got on the board in the 25th minute on a goal by senior co-captain forward Cara Cadigan. The goal, Cadigan's third of the season and first since Homecoming, was scored after a pass from senior midfielder Fanna Gamal. While the goals for Cadigan have not come at the astounding rate that they did in 2007, her last full season for Tufts, she plays an integral part in how the Jumbos advance the ball offensively.
"Cara is always a big threat, but people know who she is, so she is usually pretty heavily marked," junior midfielder Geneva DeGregorio said. "We just need her to keep doing what she's doing and have everyone else look to go forward as well."
Tufts went into halftime with the 1-0 lead, having outshot Salem State 9-3 and forcing five saves from Lady Viking sophomore goalie Lindsey Burke. The second half featured more of the same style of play, with Tufts controlling the game in the midfield.
"Today we had great communication on the field," DeGregorio said. "That was a big thing we really worked on in practice and it proved very helpful."
With just under 20 minutes to go, senior co-captain forward Whitney Hardy sealed the victory with her seventh goal of the season, with Gamal once again providing the pass. Wednesday night also marked Hardy's fourth straight game with a goal, which Nolet believes is a testament to Hardy's grit and determination.
"Whitney works really hard," Nolet said. "She never gives up and plays with a lot of heart, and that has been showing in the past couple games."
A strong Jumbo back line, anchored by Nolet, led to the season's seventh shutout. Senior goalie Kate Minnehan was only forced to make one save, as Tufts outshot the Vikings 16-4.
The win moved the Jumbos' record to 7-4-1 and marked the end of the non-conference portion of the schedule, in which they went 3-2.
All sights are now set on Williamstown, Mass., where the nation's second-ranked team has dominated opponents both in conference and out, amassing a 12-0 overall record and a 7-0 mark in NESCAC play. The Ephs have outscored their foes by a daunting 45-3 margin, having only allowed goals in three of 12 games played while averaging nearly four goals a game. Offensively, they are led by the duo of junior Annelise Snyder and sophomore Brett Eisenhart, who with 21 combined goals have accounted for almost half of their team's scores on the year. Snyder is the epitome of a super-sub; she is second in the league in goals while only having started two games.
The Jumbos, however, remain confident in their ability to contend with any team, regardless of that team's accolades.
"Williams is going to be one of the toughest opponents we see all year, but it's definitely a winnable game as long as we come ready to play 90 minutes of the best soccer we've played all year," DeGregorio said.
"We're going to focus on what we need to do right, because if we do all the things we're capable of doing, we'll definitely win," Nolet said.
More from The Tufts Daily
