Field Hockey | Loaded roster looks to be national championship contender

    One year ago, the field hockey team enjoyed not only the greatest season in program history, but arguably one of the best in the recent history of Tufts Athletics. So what could the team possibly do for an encore? If the talent on the squad's preseason roster is any indication, the Jumbos have the potential to rewrite the history books all over again in 2009.
    Nationally ranked No. 2, Tufts will enter its season opener against No. 7 Middlebury on Saturday as a legitimate national title contender. Sixteen players will return from a 2008 team that went 19-2, recorded an undefeated regular season and finished as both the national and conference runner-up.
    "We're returning a big chunk of our team, and just having players who have the experience of going to the national championship game is definitely going to be a benefit," senior co-captain Margi Scholtes said. "The girls that we have now know what it takes to win a national championship or a NESCAC championship. Having that experience already is going to be a plus for us."
    With Scholtes, junior forward Tamara Brown and junior defender Amanda Roberts, the Jumbos are returning more All-Americans than any team in the nation. Last season, Brown paced the best offense in the NESCAC with 28 goals and 61 points, both single-season school records. She'll be joined on what promises to be a dominating forward line by senior co-captain Amanda Russo and senior Michelle Kelly, both of whom were among the top 10 scorers in the conference last year.
    Scholtes and Roberts, meanwhile, will help anchor a defense that yielded a total of just 21 goals in 21 games in 2008. In addition to two All-Americans the Jumbos' defensive unit boasts a wealth of experience, with lineup mainstays Jess Perkins and Taylor Dyer back in the mix and sophomore Marianna Zak entering her second full season as the starting goalkeeper.
    "I've already seen [the defensive returnees] helping to coach the younger players," coach Tina McDavitt said. "Where last year, I was the one explaining to them what to do, now they're explaining to the other players what they need to do. It's almost better because they're learning the positions now like a coach. That's a difference; they know what to do now."
    Seven freshmen, many of whom have already begun to make their presence felt, will strengthen the team this season. During scrimmages against NESCAC rivals Trinity, Wesleyan and Conn. College in Hartford, Conn. last weekend, the first-years accounted for much of the offense and made solid contributions to all-around play.
    "They were just taught the new system on Friday, and they were already playing it really well," Scholtes said. "[Forward] Kayla Murphy had two or three goals, [midfielder] Lia Sagerman had a couple goals, and a couple of the defenders made some really good tackles. They're already stepping up and playing Tufts field hockey."
    With four schools ranked in the top 12 of the preseason national poll, the NESCAC once again appears to be stocked with talent. With their combination of a potent offense, an experienced defense and tremendous depth, the Jumbos are perhaps as strong as any of the conference's elite teams. Still, the team is avoiding the temptation to guess what it could potentially accomplish this season.
    "We're just focusing on one game at a time," Scholtes said. "Our record right now is 0-0, and we're not focusing that much on winning NESCACs or winning the national championship. We're just worried about the next game, so the game that we're all focusing on right now is Middlebury."
    "Our expectations are high because we're really excited about the prospects of how well we can do," McDavitt added, "But I think we're being really smart about realizing that the season hasn't started yet and that we need to earn everything we get. We've talked about that and just making sure that we take it game by game."