It may be asking a lot of the women's soccer team, decimated by injuries throughout the past couple of weeks, to do something that no one in the country has done this season: beat Williams.
But if the Jumbos want to keep themselves in the running to host a game in the NESCAC Tournament, it would behoove them to put together a strong weekend. Not only will Tufts have the chance to take down the nationally ranked No. 1 Ephs tomorrow, but on Sunday, the Jumbos will host a critical conference tilt against Wesleyan, who, like Tufts, enters weekend play with two NESCAC losses.
"This weekend's going to be pretty important," coach Martha Whiting said. "Just for our own satisfaction, we'd like to finish with a winning record in the NESCAC. And then it would be so great if we could still salvage home-field advantage in the first round of the conference tournament. I think we have a couple of things to play for in that regard."
This time just two weeks ago, when the Jumbos were off to a 5-0 start and owned the nation's No. 9 ranking, their impending matchup with the Ephs had the look of a showdown for New England supremacy. But since seeing both its goalkeepers, its leading scorer from last season, a starting midfielder and a contributor off the bench all go down with injuries, Tufts has predictably struggled. Over their last four games, the Jumbos have surrendered 11 goals and posted a 1-3 mark, dropping from a tie for first in the NESCAC to fifth.
The recent skid and the plethora of injuries have relegated Tufts to the role of sizable underdog heading into tomorrow's contest -- and that's just fine with the Jumbos.
"We're not afraid," Whiting said. "It's a great opportunity because if you look at it, we really don't have a whole lot to lose. They're No. 1 in the country, and a lot of the pressure is going to be on them. Our team just absolutely refuses to give up, and we're so excited to have a chance to play one of the best teams in the country."
Aiding the Jumbos' upset bid will be the expected returns of three players from injuries. Sophomore midfielder Geneva DeGregorio, who started the team's first eight games before pulling her groin during Tufts' 3-1 setback against Middlebury on Oct. 11, and freshman midfielder Alix Michael, who has been out since Sept. 30 with a concussion, are the most likely returnees.
The Jumbos may also be getting some help on the defensive end, as the team's goalkeeper situation, which has been in flux since both junior Kate Minnehan and sophomore Hannah Jacobs were injured during the loss to Middlebury, could resolve itself ahead of tomorrow's contest. After playing the first 36:05 minutes of Tuesday's loss to Keene State, Jacobs may be ready to take over full-time on Saturday, assuming that she continues to progress in her recovery.
"It's really day-to-day," Whiting said. "She feels a lot better today than she did yesterday, and we're hoping that by tomorrow she feels better than she did today and that by Saturday, she's going to be okay. We just kind of have to play it by ear and wait and see."
Tufts will need all the help it can get on defense, as Williams boasts one of the conference's highest-octane offenses, averaging over three goals per game this season. Williams is a particularly challenging offensive squad because it is the only school in the NESCAC to play a 3-4-3 formation, which allows the team to have at least seven players on attack during any one time.
When Tufts has the ball, it is hoping for results similar to its effort Tuesday night, when it tallied season highs of 25 shots and four goals on Keene State's defense. Though the Jumbos wound up on the wrong end of a 5-4 score, they were pleased to see their attack, while depleted by injuries, manage a strong performance.
"It's great to get 25 shots in a game, so even though we lost, we had a lot of offense," junior tri-captain Whitney Hardy said. "It stinks to score four goals and lose, but our offense did great, and I think that's going to be huge in terms of confidence going into the weekend."
"It's nice to see to see those players that are at the end of the bench can play," Whiting said. "We feel like one through 19, we can put in pretty much any combination of players and the level just doesn't go down."
