It seems as though the women's lacrosse team is well on its way back to the top of the NESCAC, beating the previously undefeated and nationally ranked No. 4 Trinity Bantams 11−9 on Saturday in Hartford, Conn. With the upset — their sixth win in a row — the No. 12 Jumbos improve to 7−2 overall and 4−2 in conference play. The loss knocked the Bantams into second in the conference, and not only secured Tufts a place in the ensuing NESCAC tournament, but kept its hopes of hosting the playoffs alive.
Though the Jumbos controlled the pace of the game for most of play, the final minutes threatened Tufts' waning lead. With just over five minutes remaining, the Jumbo defense gave up a free position shot that allowed the Bantams to come within two, 10−8. Less than two minutes later, Trinity struck again to close the gap to a single goal with 3:42 left to play. However, a clutch save from junior goalkeeper Sara Bloom, who recorded a season−high 10 saves on the day, denied Trinity the tying goal and allowed the Jumbos to transition to offense and prepare to stall.
"Knowing the game is so close makes everyone work a lot harder," sophomore Katie Lotz said. "And I think we were a lot more aware about where the ball was and marking up tight when they came down on attack … Bloom's save was incredible and pumped us up a lot, which made us work even harder to not let them score again."
When Tufts lost possession in Trinity's defensive end, sophomore attacker Lara Kozin stole the ball right back, and was able to score at 2:29 left in regulation. The security goal relaxed the Tufts squad and rattled Trinity, as the Bantams committed an offensive foul and squandered their own chances of a comeback, allowing the Jumbos to run out the clock for an 11−9 win.
"We knew we had to score again," sophomore Casey Egan said. "And there was definitely a sense of urgency. But when Lara intercepted the ball and scored that goal we got a new wave of confidence. In the last few minutes we knew if we maintained possession and kept our confidence … we would keep our lead."
For the first 20 minutes of play, neither team could establish a lead, as each of Tufts' first four tallies was immediately answered by the Bantams. But Egan broke the seal and set off a four−goal Jumbo run that bridged the intermission. Egan and senior Emily Johnson scored to go ahead 6−4 heading into halftime.
After the break, Tufts didn't let up, as freshman Kerry Eaton added one and sophomore Kelly Hyland stretched the lead to 8−4. But Trinity, determined to protect its flawless record, fought back with a three−goal surge of its own and held the fierce Tufts attack scoreless for 12 minutes of play. Back−to−back goals from sophomore Steph Perez gave Tufts its three−goal cushion, which proved necessary when the Bantams made their final efforts.
In the end, the Tufts offense, arguably the most dominant in the NESCAC, was too much for the previously stellar Bantam defense. The Jumbo attack forced Trinity to commit 22 fouls, while the Jumbos played a clean game with only 11. The Jumbos outshot the Bantams 31−27 as well. Draw controls were dead even at 11 for each team, with Tufts sophomore Emily Pillemer picking up a game−high three.
"I think our defense really came together against Trinity," Lotz said. "We were very vocal and communicated really well, so we were always there for the doubles and the slides. We had gone over some of their plays in practice, so we had a general idea of what they were going to do, and luckily it all worked out and we were able to get a lot of turnovers and bring the ball back up to offense."
"The defense really stepped it up," Egan added. "Their great play made it possible for us to have opportunities to score. Our attack simply capitalized on the defensive plays."
The win serves as a stepping stone for the young Jumbos, who have only five upperclassmen in their starting lineup. They move into a three−way tie for second place in the league with Bowdoin and Colby and have renewed their chances for a return to the national quarterfinals. And, with the opportunity to extend the win streak through this week on Thursday against a 9−2 Endicott team out of the comparatively weak Commonwealth Coast Conference and Saturday versus Conn. College (1−5 NESCAC), early doubts of the team's ability are soon to be forgotten.
"I think this win is a huge message to the rest of the NESCAC and to the rest of Div. III," Lotz said. "We may have had a rough start in the beginning of the season, but our team has really come together, and both our attack and defense has really gelled and become really strong. This win has definitely given us a lot of confidence individually and in our team, and it lets us know that we can't accept losing to anyone, and shows us how well we are capable of playing."
