During a soccer game, substitutions are arguably the most important decisions a coach has to make. Tufts head coach Martha Whiting handled this aspect of the game masterfully yesterday, inserting freshman forward Anya Kaufman midway through the first half. Less than two minutes after entering the game, Kaufman scored her first collegiate goal, which was enough for a 1-0 non-conference win over Endicott.
Junior Jamie Love-Nichols was Tufts' biggest offensive asset early, and less than fifteen minutes in, she turned a cleared free kick into a counter-attack after senior forward Bailey Morgan found her streaking down the right side. Love-Nichols tried to play it back across, but the ball was played a bit too far, out of reach of several Jumbos filling in the middle.
A few minutes later, Love-Nichols again had a chance, sneaking through the Gulls' defense and playing in a dangerous cross, though nobody could finish.
Tufts finally struck in the 33rd minute, as sophomore forward Jenna Castellot worked her way down to the end line before finding an unmarked Kaufman in the center of the box. Kaufman, less than ten yards out, had plenty of time to turn around and set herself before slipping a soft shot into the right corner, beating freshman goalkeeper Natalie Wyrsch.
"I'm pretty happy about it," Kaufman said after the game. "It's been a while since I've scored, so it was good to put one in."
The game slowed down in the second half, as both teams looked worn down from such a fast-paced opening. The Gulls were forced to chase the Jumbos, trying to force turnovers, but Endicott could do little more than loft a pair of shots right at freshman keeper Kristin Wright, who combined with sophomore keeper Phoebe Hanley for Tufts' fourth straight shutout.
The Jumbos are now the winners of four straight games, their longest streak since they started 2008 with five straight victories.
"We are feeling pretty confident," Kaufman said. "We need to just keep putting shots in the back of the net, because we cannot rely on getting a shutout every game."
