The field hockey team is on a roll — a three-game win streak that has seen 13 unanswered goals and a Player of the Week nod from the conference. Its latest victory came Wednesday night on Bello Field, when Tufts defeated UMass Dartmouth with ease, 6-0.
The victory was dominating, with Tufts, ranked No. 9 nationally among Div. III teams, scoring five of its goals in the first half and controlling possession throughout. The Jumbos racked up a whopping 42 shots on the day and allowed just nine in the rout. Tufts' defensive communication stifled the UMass Dartmouth attack, while its offensive passing combinations sliced through the Corsairs' defense.
According to freshman forward Brittany Norfleet, who had three shots on goal, communication and cohesion have always been two of the team's greatest assets.
"I was intimidated at first, sure," Norfleet said of coming into a nationally ranked program. "But, [head coach] Tina [McDavitt] really looks to put a team together that meshes well on and off the field."
"The freshmen are really fitting in and getting playing time," junior forward Lia Sagerman, Wednesday's leading scorer, said. "They're rock stars."
Sagerman notched the Jumbos' first goal just five minutes into the game, amid a scrum in front of UMass Dartmouth's net, and later scored twice more — the team's fifth and sixth tallies of the evening.
"I felt great about the game as a whole," Sagerman said. "Our energy was good, our passing looked good and we kept up the intensity all the way through."
Junior forward Kelsey Perkins contributed two goals for the Jumbos, while senior co-captain midfielder Lindsay Griffith chipped in with a goal off a penalty corner from fellow senior co-captain Taylor Dyer. Outside the circle, the duo teamed with Griffith to prevent the Corsairs from collecting much time outside their own 25-yard line, and Dyer, along with senior Sarah Cannon, handled most of the possessions that escaped the midfield. Though they weren't often necessary on the day, two Tufts goalkeepers, senior Marianna Zak and sophomore Katie Stuntz, played their part in protecting Tufts' shutout and combined for three saves against UMass Dartmouth.
The Corsairs' keepers, on the other hand, had their hands full. Sophomore Kelsey Gallo faced eight corners and 26 shots in the first half, allowing five goals. Although she didn't receive much support from her defense, Gallo's impressive 13 saves were the only thing that kept the game from turning into a complete blowout. Sophomore Lauren O'Brien, who relieved Gallo at halftime, saw another five corners and 16 shots in the second period, but the Tufts reserves looked less accurate and forced just six saves from the sophomore.
"We wanted to come out and score right from the beginning," Sagerman said. "The formula is to win the first half, then the second half and to preserve the shutout."
The team will be looking for another shutout to tack onto its streak tomorrow. The Jumbos will face Colby at 1 p.m. in their first game on the road in 2011. The Mules stand at 0-3 on the season, and while they are a NESCAC squad that can't be written off, the game should provide the Jumbos with a manageable transition to unfamiliar turf.
The game will also mark the first of Tufts' string of three away contests, which culminates at No. 12 Amherst next Saturday, just before a home tilt with No. 15 Trinity on Sunday. The team will continue to take it one game at a time, but they are aware that a good performance on the road is important leading into next weekend's back-to-back clashes with nationally ranked foes.