Sports

Jeremy Greenhouse | Follow the Money

The Tampa Bay Rays have a chance to become the first team in major league history to go from worst to first in consecutive seasons.

Volleyball | Jumbos trample four opponents in weekend tournament at Brandeis

While it did not fully make up for last year's season-ending loss to Williams in the NESCAC Tournament semifinals, the volleyball team exercised a measure of vengeance against the 2007 conference champions at this weekend's Brandeis Invitational.

Women's Cross Country | McNamara, Tufts two-for-two after Jumbo Invitational win

After a blowout win at Sept. 6's Trinity Invitational behind Stephanie McNamara's first-place finish, Tufts once again relied on the sophomore who locked up first place Saturday, as the women's cross country team smoked the competition at the annual Jumbo Invitational.

Inside MLB | Injured arms, anemic bats leave big-budget Yankees in fourth place in AL East race

Just how long has it been since the New York Yankees failed to reach the postseason? You'd have to go all the way back to 1993, a time when the highest paid baseball player was making $6.2 million, when there were zero Japanese-born players in the majors and where Derek Jeter was at the ripe old age of 19.

Top Ten | Luckiest People in Sports

Let's get this straight. The Denver Broncos, after scoring in the final seconds of their Week 2 matchup with the San Diego Chargers, just one extra point away from forcing overtime in a 38-37 game, did what?

Men's Soccer | Double-overtime defeat leaves Jumbos looking for answers

Athletes of the Week

Kate Denniston, Volleyball 

Field Hockey | Jumbos shoot their way past Colby in shutout victory

After three games so far this season, it's clear that the field hockey team has thrown open the offensive floodgates with no intention of closing them.

Women's Soccer | Jumbos ride strong defensive effort to win in season opener 1-0

The women's soccer team may have debuted a new-look lineup over the weekend, but the results certainly didn't seem to indicate any change at all.

Inside College Football | Trojans throttle Ohio State 35-5 in Top 5 showdown

In an otherwise uneventful third weekend in the world of college football, several key losses in the Top 25 have kept the rankings fluctuating and left the experts scratching their heads.

Field Hockey | Jumbos' powerful offense has Wellesley singing the blues

    For the field hockey team, the goals just keep on coming.     In their second dominant performance in as many games, the nationally-ranked No. 14 Jumbos took down Wellesley College 6-1 at Bello Field Wednesday for Tufts' first win over the Blue since 2004. Coupled with their 10-1 opening-day victory over Wesleyan Saturday, the Jumbos have now tallied a whopping 16 goals over their first two games.     "Last year, it felt like we would sometimes get too comfortable when we were only up by one goal," senior tri-captain Marlee Kutcher said. "Now it's a bit more like we're always looking to score, no matter the situation."     Once again, Tufts' forward line was firing on all cylinders, as junior Michelle Kelly and freshman Lindsay Griffith led the way with two goals apiece, while junior Amanda Russo added three assists. In all, the Jumbos put up 23 shots compared to just three from Wellesley.     "We just kept pushing and pushing on offense," Kelly said. "We knew it was a big game coming into today, so we were a little amped up. Once we got that first corner goal it got us rolling and we never looked back."     For the last three years, the field hockey team has been curiously            stymied by Wellesley. Last year, the Jumbos took a devastating 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the Blue, despite outpacing the team 25-10 in shots and 19-6 in penalty-corner opportunities.     "We felt so frustrated by those past three losses, so getting a win today was extra special," Kutcher said. "It was also nice because it's the beginning of the season, and it will be a huge confidence boost for us. In the past, those losses were tough because it immediately started our season off on the wrong foot."     "There has definitely been a mental aspect to those tough Wellesley losses over the past couple years," coach Tina McDavitt said. "It really has felt like we've always been in those games, but we just couldn't get a win on the scoreboard. Last year we even took them to OT, but again, we just couldn't put it together. In finally beating them [Wednesday,] we learned a lot about our depth and composure, and it will now allow us to re-focus on our goals for the rest of this season."     Russo had a hand in the early scoring, feeding Kutcher and Kelly for Tufts' first two scores. The Jumbos took that 2-0 lead into the 33rd minute, when sophomore forward Tamara Brown notched her fourth goal of the season and sent Tufts into halftime with a comfortable three-goal cushion.     Russo and Kelly teamed up again in the second half, putting the Jumbos up by four. Of Russo's team-leading five assists this season, four have gone to Kelly for goals.     "So far this year [Russo] has been very unselfish and she has done a great job of setting up girls like [Michelle] for some nice goals," McDavitt said. "They've been working real well in practice and it's exciting that it has paid off already."     "The way she draws out the opposing players and then works the ball to her teammates is huge for our offense," Kelly said. "She even can sometimes get the goalie to come out of the goal and then she will pass it by her to assist on a goal."     Griffith then got into the act, sandwiching the first two goals of her career around Wellesley's lone tally. With Griffith and Brown getting on the scoreboard over the first two games and freshman goalkeeper Marianna Zak and sophomore goalkeeper Katie Hyder splitting the time so far in cage, the team has enjoyed a nice boost from its underclassmen.     "I think [our youth] is huge for our program," McDavitt said. "It's gotten to the point where we don't have to spend as much time with the younger girls in practice early on trying to acclimate them to the college game. When we're not forced to just rely on solely upperclassmen, we are capable of being much more successful."     The Jumbos will next take the field tomorrow, when they host a NESCAC showdown against the Colby Mules.

Inside the NFL | Brady injury opens the door for a shuffling of the old order the NFL

    How cruel 2008 has been to the New England Patriots.     Not only did they suffer an upset loss in the Super Bowl as the heavy favorite at the hands of the New York Giants after a perfect 16-0 regular season, but they also lost their MVP quarterback Tom Brady for the season not even 10 minutes into their Week 1 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.     With the offensive juggernaut comprised of Brady and Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss that lit up the league last season intact leading into the opener, hopes had remained high for New England to cruise to another Super Bowl this season. Now, with Brady's season over after a below-the-knees hit from Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard Sunday, and untested career backup Matt Cassel set to take the field, New England's seven-year run atop the AFC East lies in question.     Needless to say, it's apparent that more teams can make legitimate claims as one of the league's elite. But who steps up and becomes one of the new teams to beat? Any number of teams make a case.     The discussion should probably start with the Dallas Cowboys, who tied for the league's second-best record at 13-3 last season and should only improve this season. The Cowboys opened 2008 by dismantling a very good Cleveland Browns team, making the Browns look awful by outgaining them 487 yards to 205 in a 28-10 win. Quarterback Tony Romo, despite injuries that left an ache in his finger and blood gushing from under his chinstrap, shrugged it off and went 24-for-32 for 320 yards, nearly tripling the output of Browns QB Derek Anderson.     Looking equally impressive at the moment is Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, who went 21-for-33 for 361 yards and thrice put the Eagles in the end zone as Philly thrashed the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, 38-3. While the Cowboys' offense is tremendous, the Eagles' edge may be on the defensive side, especially in their ability to stop the run. The Rams' Stephen Jackson learned that the hard way last weekend, as the Eagles' D-line stuffed him for 40 yards on 14 carries.     The Eagles' Monday night visit to Dallas is the game to watch this week, but several other teams will be looking to make statements as well. Most notably, the Pittsburgh Steelers should aim to establish themselves as top dogs in the AFC, and with the Patriots Brady-less and the Indianapolis Colts on the verge of a 0-2 start if they lose on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, that title is certainly up for grabs.     The Steelers are led by one of the league's most underrated quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger, whose passer rating last season was second only to Brady's. Additionally, their offensive line just keeps getting stronger, and their running game was dazzling in Week 1, as Willie Parker ran all over the Houston Texans for 138 yards and three touchdowns.     And then there's the defense. The Steelers had arguably the league's best last season, especially against the run. Against the pass, they should be improved this year; on Sunday they twice intercepted Houston's Matt Schaub, one of the league's most accurate arms, including one pick by oft-injured Pro Bowler Troy Polamalu, his first in nearly two years. Pittsburgh's defense may be the deciding factor in making the Steelers the team to watch in the AFC.     The other team competing for the top spot is probably the San Diego Chargers, even if they were knocked off in the final seconds of Week 1 by the Carolina Panthers. Their defense is decidedly average, and losing linebacker Shawne Merriman to season-ending knee surgery clearly won't help, but the Chargers still have too many offensive weapons to ignore.     LaDainian Tomlinson, at 29, is still one of the league's best running backs, Antonio Gates is one of the top tight ends, and Philip Rivers is one of the most explosive quarterbacks around, though not the most accurate. San Diego will pile up points, and the wins will follow.     Of course, none of these teams is the defending Super Bowl champion — that honor belongs to the Giants. Although the Giants, while strong contenders to return to the playoffs again this January, aren't even the best team in their own division. They probably aren't even second.

Volleyball | Tufts roars back from early loss to win first match of 2008

    Things looked bleak for the volleyball team in its first match of the season Tuesday night, as the Jumbos found themselves down a set to the 6-0 Stonehill Skyhawks. But luckily for Tufts, the final outcome was settled after four sets, not one, and the team walked away from Cousens with its first win under its belt.     "For our first game, we played really well," senior tri-captain Natalie Goldstein said. "We were kind of all over in the beginning. There were a lot of nerves we needed to get out, but over the next three games we kept improving. All we needed to do was get a little time on the court."     The Div. II Skyhawks were coming off a dominant 3-0 win over Conn. College Saturday, and after a 25-21 first-set loss, Tufts seemed to be in dire straights.     "We made a lot of errors in that first set, but as the match progressed, we committed less and less unforced errors," coach Cora Thompson said. "In the first set we had two out-of-rotation situations when the lineup overlaps with players, and that's stuff that is controllable and shouldn't happen. As the season starts to progress, you'll see a more disciplined level of volleyball."     Nonetheless, Thompson chose to keep her same eight-woman rotation on the floor, and the decision paid off.     "I just wanted to give that particular lineup a good amount of experience and get some time to work out the kinks," she said. "I pointed out that we were still in control of our destiny. We had made 14 errors, and we lost the first by four, so you're giving the other team the match. If we cut down on unforced errors, we're going to give ourselves a better chance of winning the next set."     With that on their minds, the Jumbos took control of the match, overwhelming the Skyhawks to nail the following three sets 25-19, 25-15 and 25-21.     "We really controlled the pace of the game," said Goldstein, who took her usual spot as the team leader in digs with 13. "The reason why they were in it at the beginning was that we committed so many unforced errors, and we cut down on those."     Senior tri-captain Stacy Filocco continued her killing spree from last season, pacing the Jumbos with 15 in the match. Sophomore Dawson Joyce-Mendive and freshman Cara Spieler, the only first-year player to receive playing time, also tallied double-digit totals in kills.     "[Filocco] hit well," Thompson said. "She had the most sets of anyone on the team, with 44. She's a smarter hitter, and her court sense is much improved. She knows when to swing away or work a roll shot or tip. She mixes it up with great power, but her ball control keeps getting better and better.     "[Joyce-Mendive] did a great job too," she continued. "She's so good at placing her shots. [Spieler] had a few freshman jitters, but at the same time, she's a solid player. She played a couple positions today and was overall one of our most solid passers, which is big since serve-receive has always been one of our weaknesses."     Setting up the hitters was junior Dena Feiger, who notched 39 assists as the lone primary setter all night. Feiger and senior Maya Ripecky notched three aces apiece, part of the team's 11 total, while also combining for only one of the squad's 10 service errors.     "We were serving aggressively," Thompson said. "We got more comfortable serving as the jitters started to fade out. Our goal is to serve aggressively, and I'm okay with serving errors if we're going to stay aggressive, not if we're wailing it out by 10 feet. It's important we keep service aces up, because that's our first offensive attack."     Tufts' defense also impressed, holding the then-undefeated Skyhawks to a season-low .180 hitting percentage compared to the Jumbos' .235. The squad also came up with 34 team digs and four team blocks thanks to middle blockers sophomore Erica Lokken and senior tri-captain Kate Denniston.     "We did very well with our intensity on defense, which is something that's only going to get better," Thompson said. "We did a great job fighting in some of those long rallies with Goldstein and Ripecky, who were great in the back row and kept us alive."     Tufts will look to carry its momentum onto the road this weekend for a tournament at Brandeis, where the competition will include last year's conference champion, Williams.     "We're feeling really good going into this weekend," Denniston said. "We have a really deep bench, and everyone on the team deserves to be there."     "The most exciting thing about our team is that there's a lot of talent on the bench," Thompson said. "This coming weekend, when we have four more matches, other lineups will be tested and people will be shifted.     "At the same time, I still expect to win every match," she continued. "I think it's a realistic goal. It's not going to be easy, but from what I saw last night — the fight we have in us, the refuse to lose attitude — is what will help us win tight games. We have five seniors, and that's what they expect. We have high goals this season, and every time out we have to prove how much we want it and how disciplined we'll be."

Men's Soccer | Soccer team starts season 2-0

    The men's soccer is certainly silencing its critics.     In both 2007 and 2006, the Jumbos went five games before picking up their first win of the season. This season, however, has provided a different story. The team (2-0-0) won its second straight non-conference game on Wednesday, defeating the Southern Maine Huskies (3-1-1) 2-0 three days after opening its season with a victory over Gordon by the same score.     "I think we played today as though we got a lot of the kinks out over the weekend," junior forward Dan Schoening said. "We played as more of a team."     After a slow start to the game, Tufts jumped out to the lead on a goal in the 36th minute from sophomore Pat Doherty. The goal was set up by Schoening, who intercepted an attempt by Southern Maine's goalie to clear the ball and then fed it to Doherty.     "The keeper pretty much kicked it right at me," Schoening said. "I touched it down and then passed it to Pat, who made a nice run and finished it."     The Huskies' offense was held in check by another stellar performance from the Jumbo defense, anchored by senior tri-captain goalie Dave McKeon. He recorded his second straight shutout, good for the sixth of his career. McKeon's performance included an impressive save in the first half after Southern Maine's senior forward Sinisa Bajic had a clear shot on goal from just ten yards out.     "The defense was really strong," Schoening said. "They're coming out and playing hard every game."     Tufts added a second goal in the 82nd minute thanks to a blast from sophomore midfielder Ben Green, who struck the ball from just outside of the left side of the box and into the near post. Tufts was efficient in its attack, capitalizing on two of just five shots on goal.     Diversified offensive production has been one key difference between 2008 and past years. In the first two games of the season, the Jumbos have put up four goals by four different players, underscoring the balance in this year's squad.     "Four goals by four different players is pretty much the definition of well-roundedness," Schoening said. "Everybody is contributing."     And the differences certainly don't end there. Senior tri-captain Peter DeGregorio credits the midfield for the playmaking abilities it has shown during the first two games.     "We have a really strong midfield," he said. "We're very deep there, and the midfielders are giving us a huge advantage by creating more chances than we probably had last year. Then, the forwards are doing their jobs up front."     While every win is important, the Jumbos are hoping these early ones will give them the season-starting boost they've been lacking. And with the team's first NESCAC contest coming up Saturday against the Colby Mules, these past two non-conference games have provided invaluable experience for a relatively green roster.     "Three-quarters of the starters had never started before," DeGregorio said. "I think it was good for a lot of them to get the first game under their belt. We were more solid [Wednesday]."     Despite the team's success against non-conference opponents, the move to              conference play presents new challenges. Tufts has not defeated Colby since 2005, although the Jumbos led 2-0 in the second half of last year's matchup before the Camels mounted a comeback and brought the game to a tie after overtime. But both of Tufts' goals came courtesy of senior tri-captain forward Greg O'Connell (LA '08), a player whose physical efforts in NESCAC games has so far left a void in the Jumbo line.     "The pace, intensity and importance will all increase," DeGregorio said of the transition to NESCAC opponents. "The difference is how intense and physical all NESCAC games are. The quality of the teams isn't much stronger."     "This weekend will be our biggest game yet," Schoening added. "We've been talking a lot about momentum. We haven't had a start like this since I've been here, and we're hoping the momentum can carry us through."     With the next phase of the young season about to start as conference competition kicks off, the Jumbos have adopted a new mantra that embodies the importance they are placing on momentum.     "A few of the guys have been using the saying, ‘Ride the wave,'" DeGregorio said.

Golf Preview | Revamped golf team anticipates big season

    After the rollercoaster year it witnessed in 2007, the golf team hopes that the transition into 2008 will produce a smoother ride.     Last year, coach Bob Sheldon's squad had an up-and-down fall season, posting some solid finishes  —  including a first-place showing at the Husson Tournament in Orono, Maine — yet failed to qualify for the sport's first-ever NESCAC Tournament. Once more, the season-closing New England Championships also slipped away from the Jumbos, who couldn't follow up on a highly impressive third-place mark after one day of play and found themselves in 25th place at the tournament's conclusion.     Needless to say, the team knows that it has some rebuilding in store if it wants to improve on its late-season disappointments. The roster experienced a major turnover this year with the graduation of senior tri-captains Dave Hunt (E '08), Mike O'Neil (LA '08) and the low-scoring Pat Sullivan (LA '08).     But the team is confident that senior captain Phil Haslett, along with classmate Benjie Moll, will fill the leadership role, helping Tufts become one of the top teams in the NESCAC.     "Even though we lost three great players, we think we have a great group of guys," Haslett said. "We're a younger team, but we have confidence built up because we have played all the courses last year."     The Jumbos will rely on the play of their underclassmen as well, as sophomores Danny Moll and Luke Heffernan both hope to continue to perform in a similarly impressive manner to last year. With a year of experience under its belt, the duo, as well as veteran juniors Brett Hershman and Brad Dreisbach, will need to assume prominent roles if the team is to succeed this season.     "Returning players from last year will need to play well throughout the season," Heffernan said. "We are really looking for guys competing for the fourth and fifth spots to step up."     In accordance with tournament regulations, each team brings five players to each event, with the top four scores from each round counting toward the cumulative total for the tournament. And while the team may not have had an overwhelming number of people try out, the Jumbos feel that posting four solid scores per tournament remains well within their reach.     "Although there wasn't a great turnout during tryouts, all we need is five guys," Haslett said. "And if those five guys can shoot four low scores, which I'm confident we can do, this team will be very successful."     The Jumbos will also have team chemistry to their advantage, something the players say has allowed them to push each other to shoot lower scores in practice.     "Everyone's playing real well in practices," Hershman said. "We're a close knit group; there's a lot of camaraderie and a great team dynamic."     "Our team strengths are that we enjoy playing golf day in and day out," Heffernan said. "We go out there to have fun, and in order to put together consistently low rounds, you need to be relaxed. As much as we want to win, we realize that being out there competing is a privilege unto itself."     Still, the team balances this relaxed attitude with a healthy desire to put the program on the map.     "We're trying to join the ranks of the elite teams in the Northeast," Hershman said.     With five tournaments scheduled for the fall season, the Jumbos will have ample opportunities to do just that. Tufts will travel to competitions all over the Northeast before landing in Brewster, Mass. for the New England Championships, held Oct. 19-21. Its first competition is the upcoming Bowdoin Invitational, which will take place this weekend in Brunswick, Maine.     Last year, led by Sullivan, who earned medalist honors after posting the lowest individual score in the field, Tufts placed third out of 13 teams to kick off the fall 2007 season.     "We played well in this tournament last year, so we've got confidence coming in," Haslett said. "Everyone's been putting up low scores in practice for the last week and a half as well."

Professional Lacrosse | Blazing ahead: professional lacrosse franchise comes to Boston

    In a city bursting at the seams with professional franchises, National League Lacrosse is banking that Beantown can adopt one more.     After a 12-year hiatus, professional indoor lacrosse is making its return to Boston in the form of the Boston Blazers, a team that will assume the Blazer moniker with a tip of the helmet to the former, but unrelated, Boston Blazer lacrosse franchise of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League that competed from 1992 through 1997. The Blazers will become the 13th team to compete in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) starting with the opening of the 2009 season in January.     With the understanding that the team is entering one of the most fan-intensive markets in the nation, Blazers executives said they are optimistic that the team will become a mainstay in the Boston sports culture.     "We believe that the city of Boston and the greater New England area is the perfect place for indoor lacrosse, and the TD Banknorth Garden is the ideal home for our eight-game regular season," Blazers Team President Doug Reffue said.     "Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and recent surveys by US Lacrosse [the national governing body of lacrosse] show that participation in lacrosse throughout New England has grown by 500 percent in the past decade," Reffue continued. "We think the combination of those facts bodes very well for the Boston Blazers as we launch our franchise."     The team was purchased by Google executive Tim Armstrong in early 2007, and the franchise attempted to join the NLL for the beginning of the 2008 season.     In late 2007, however, complications arose with the league's collective bargaining agreement. When other unforeseen logistical issues cropped up soon thereafter, the team was forced to disperse its players back to the league's twelve other teams and regroup for another — this time successful — attempt to join the NLL for the 2009 campaign.     With the Blazers' acceptance into the league official and the season a few months away, discussion moves to the team's potential performance in a city that has recently enjoyed winning seasons and titles from teams like the Red Sox and Celtics.     "In order to play for the Blazers you must be tough and athletic," head coach Tom Ryan said. "We have something to prove to the fans of Boston and to ourselves. The Blazers will be characterized by effort and attitude."     Last weekend, the team hosted the NLL entry draft and scouting combine at the TD Banknorth Garden in what is the last major step towards constructing the 2009 squad. The Blazer squad will be headlined on offense by the brother tandem of Dan and Paul Dawson, as well as No. 1 overall draft pick Daryl Veltman, a graduate of Hobart College in New York.     "Daryl was an All-American and the leading scorer in the ECAC, and he has a very promising future with our team," Reffue said.     Defensively, the team will be anchored by recent UMass-Amherst grad Jack Reid. Reid won't be the only local face, however, as Ryan and assistant GM Randy Fraser have made it a point to keep a hometown feel to the Blazers. Attackman Sean Morris, a native of Marshfield, Mass. and a UMass alum, is among the Blazers who call the Bay State home.     This summer the team also took strides to dig deep roots into the Boston sports community in order to ensure that its first season would be a success. The team made appearances at various local community events, including the NCAA Lacrosse Championships at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. in late May.     The team hopes that the time it took to meet local lacrosse families and reach out at tournaments and events will pay dividends in terms of attendance come January.     "One of the most important goals we've set for our franchise is to welcome the youth lacrosse community of New England with open arms," Reffue said. "We've been doing that throughout the spring and summer."     The team also hosted an interactive fan day, called Blazers Day, in conjunction with the draft Saturday and invited over 20 youth teams from around New England to participate. Reffue said he hopes the weekend went a long way in helping to build a local fan base.     "We thought it was very important to work together with the NLL to stage the best combine and draft in the league's 23-year history," he said. "To accomplish that goal, we staged Blazers Day, a full day of activities and promotions to reach out to our fans. From all of the feedback we heard from league executives, our players, coaches and the many fans who attended, Blazers Day was a tremendous success."     The team also hopes to make a splash with area college students. Citing the team's proximity to the T and the fast-paced, hard-hitting nature of the NLL, Reffue said college students would likely be drawn to the Garden for Saturday night contests.     "Blazers tickets are affordable, and our games will offer tremendous entertainment value to the college crowd who love to enjoy a night out," Reffue said. "We hope that Tufts students take advantage of the great ticket prices, jump on the T and come out to support the Blazers."     In the end though, the Blazers management knows that Boston fans place heavy emphasis on winning and a team's on-the-field results.     "Our goal for this year is to win games and play hard so that the fans of New England will be proud to support us," Ryan said. "Despite being an expansion team, our goal has to be to get in the playoffs."     The Boston Blazers will roll out the turf for the first time in January, making their return to the Garden Jan. 17 against the New York Titans.

Women's Soccer Preview | Jumbos eye second consecutive opening-day victory over NESCAC rival Colby

    Exiting both the NESCAC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament on penalty kicks is hardly an easy thing to forget.     But for the women's soccer team, the graduation of seven key seniors could make putting the past behind it comparatively easier than anyone anticipated. And with eight new players joining the roster this year, Tufts is ready to take on the 2008 campaign with a clean slate.     "Because we have so many new players — we have eight new players out of 20 — I'm sure the other kids are disappointed over our loss, but it's kind of a distant memory at this point," coach Martha Whiting said. "Everyone is so ready to move forward, and with so many new kids, there's a whole new kind of feeling on the team."             But with so many new faces making up the roster, Tufts will have no easy task at hand.      "The fact that we lost so many seniors is so big because they all played such key positions on the field," junior goalkeeper Kate Minnehan said. "Three of the four defenders were seniors and two of the midfielders and one of the forwards, so we're kind of feeling it all over the field. I think it's going to be important to see how the freshmen step up, not only because we lost so many seniors, but because almost half the team [are] freshmen."     But the team will hardly be short on leadership. While the Jumbo roster boasts only one senior, tri-captain Maya Shoham, the team will return with a strong core of talented sophomores and juniors who will help ease the adjustment.     "We have such a great group of returning kids," Whiting added. "Maya, along with our juniors and sophomores, [is] so ready, and they have a ton of experience. They're really going to set the tone for the year."     "Since we knew so many people were graduating, we were all pretty prepared to step up into leadership roles and take charge," junior tri-captain Whitney Hardy said. "As far as challenges go, for a team that lost seven seniors, it's really important to come together early on as a team and get to know each other so we can start having team chemistry on the field."     Key for the Jumbos will also be the returning of junior tri-captain Cara Cadigan, 2007's NESCAC Rookie of the Year. After sitting out her entire freshman year with an injury, Cadigan led the NESCAC in goals scored and obliterated the Jumbos' single-season scoring record, tallying 19 throughout the season. After last year's unprecedented success, Tufts will look to Cadigan to lead the charge offensively.     "I always think it's a little tougher the second year just because now everyone has played us once at least and some teams twice," Whiting said. "They know who she is, and they will defend her very closely. But Cara is a special player. She'll find her ways to score, whether through breakaways, beating people one-on-one, or shooting out from a distance.     "I think we'll also have kids around her that will score for us, so teams will have to seriously contend with other players, which might give Cara more opportunities," Whiting continued. "She's a goal scorer; she'll be great for us no matter whether she scores 100 goals or three goals."     Minnehan will also be critical for the Jumbos in the backfield. After posting a .789 save percentage last season, she will anchor a defense featuring four new starters this season in freshman Cleo Hirsch and sophomores Audrey Almy, Carrie Wilson and Bailey Morgan.     The season will kick off this Saturday when the Jumbos continue a tradition started in 2004, playing their opener against the Colby Mules (0-7-2), a NESCAC foe that they defeated last year 2-0. While the Mules tied Bates for the bottom of the league standings in 2007, Tufts will not be taking any NESCAC matches for granted.     "For us, as cliché as it sounds, we just have to focus on playing one NESCAC opponent at a time," Whiting said. "We can never get ahead of ourselves, and we need to do our best to compete as well as we can each time we step on the field for a game."     But while the Jumbos remain focused on the task at hand, the team is grateful that the game with the non-conference Wheaten College Lyons, an annual contest since 2004 that usually serves as Tufts' second game of the season, doesn't fall until Sept. 24.     The delay will give the Jumbos time to squeeze in another NESCAC home game against a traditionally weak Conn. College team before Tufts squares off against a Lyons team that has defeated the Jumbos the last two seasons.     "It's definitely going to help," Whiting said. "Maybe Colby and Conn. College didn't have the best years last year, but any NESCAC game is always a battle, so they're great preparation for playing against a team like Wheaton. We'll be happy to have those two games under our belt."     "Because our team is so young, I think every game we can get … before we play some really competitive teams will help us out," Hardy said. "We're still trying to figure out how each other plays and learning our system, so I think it helps. Basically just having as many games as possible is going to be beneficial for us."     For now, the Jumbos will concentrate on a number of aspects of their game as they await the Mules, including defense, the attacking phase and maintaining general fitness.     "We're just trying to work really hard and stay focused on doing what we can do and not worrying about what we can't do," Hardy said.

McNamara takes NESCAC Performer of the Week Award

    Sophomore runner Stephanie McNamara is proving to be a cross-country star, opening the season on a high note by winning the Trinity College Invitational on Saturday and pacing the Jumbos to a first-place finish.     In November, McNamara finished 30th at the NCAA Div. III Championships and was one of three Jumbos to earn All-American honors. After two of those All-Americans, Cat Beck (LA ‘08) and Katy O'Brien (E ‘08), graduated last year, McNamara was expected to pick up the slack.     She's certainly doing her part.     Running the 4k Wickham Park course in Manchester, Conn., McNamara dominated the 175-runner field with a time of 16:31; over 20 seconds faster than the second-place Lyra Clark of UMass Lowell. The race marked the first time in her budding collegiate career that McNamara finished first.     Her exceptional performance helped Tufts secure a comfortable victory over the other 13 teams competing Saturday. Five Jumbos finished in the top 16, giving Tufts a final score of 48 and a victory in their first meet of the year for the third consecutive season. Stonehill College came in second with 95 points.     The Jumbos now look to their only home meet of the year, the Tufts Invitational, this weekend. The team finished third at their home course in Grafton, Mass. last year.

Inside the AL | Rays of light: Tampa Bay clings to a tenuous AL East lead

    Despite the doubters, the naysayers and the analysts who all said that the Tampa Bay Rays would tank midway through the second half of the season, their rise to power continues to be the dominating story in the American League.     Tampa Bay, who has yet to play a single playoff game in its franchise history, is in unfamiliar territory. But that past has not made the Rays shy away from the limelight this year, as they hold the second-best record in baseball behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.     After a four-game losing streak, the Rays turned things around last night with a dramatic 5-4 comeback against Jonathan Papelbon and the Boston Red Sox, giving themselves a little more breathing room — one-and-a-half games — in the standings.     Tonight's finale will prove crucial for the Rays, as it will be the difference between a relatively comfortable two-and-a-half- and a nearly invisible half-game lead, heading into the third week of September.     After this series concludes tonight, the Sox still have games against the Toronto Blue Jays, winners of ten straight; a four-game set against the 70-73 Cleveland Indians; three more against Tampa Bay; and another three against the now fourth-place New York Yankees.     On the other hand, the Rays have two series against the second-place Minnesota Twins and the 70-75 Detroit Tigers.     Still, no matter who finishes the season on top of the division, it is almost guaranteed that both the Sox and the Rays will make the playoffs, as the Twins are far in the rear-view mirror at six games back in the Wild Card race.     In the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox , having lost three straight, hold a tenuous one-game over the Twins — not what they wanted heading into a brutal end-of-the-year schedule. The ChiSox will face each of their four division rivals in three-game sets before the season ends. That said, Chicago sits at 14 games over .500 against its division this season, indicating that it's well within its ability to stay atop the division.     The Twins, on the other hand, might have a slightly easier road. Nine of their remaining 19 games are against the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles, two teams that are a combined 36 games under .500 and are each lingering approximately 20 games out of contention for their respective divisions. In any event, the division winner will likely emerge at the conclusion of the Sept. 23 -25 series in Minnesota between the Sox and the Twins.     Moving over to the AL West, the Angels are cruising to a division title once again. With the best record in baseball at 87-57, the Angels hold a 17-game lead over the second-place Texas Rangers. The only thing on the minds of the Angels at this point is a plan of attack for the playoffs in October.     Renowned for their ability to play a smart, efficient "small-ball" style of baseball in order to manufacture runs when they are most needed, the Angels have been a perennial force to be reckoned with in recent years. But their only World Series victory came in 2002, and since then, they have failed to make it back to the Fall Classic. This year, they hope to finish the season strong and head into the playoffs with a full head of steam. Unfortunately for the Angels, the Yankees — a team they blanked in two of their last four winning playoff series — will most certainly not make it to October.     With two exciting races in the East and Central divisions, sparks are bound to fly as the last few weeks of the season play out.

Daily Digits

5    The number of career shutouts recorded by goalie and senior tri-captain of the men's soccer team Dave McKeon. Mckeon added his fifth in the team's 2-0 season-opening win over Gordon College, a performance that included a game-saving stop from point-blank range with three minutes to go when the score was still 1-0.