After an 11-4 season that ended with a NESCAC quarterfinal loss to Amherst, the women's lacrosse team hopes for continued regular season success in its 2011 campaign, as well as a drive further into the conference tournament.
Tufts is just two years removed from an NCAA Elite Eight appearance and has since graduated its top two goal-scorers — Emily Johnson (LA '10) and Jenna Abelli (E '10) — as well as First-Team All-American midfielder Alyssa Kopp (LA '10). The Jumbos, however, believe they have the pieces necessary to win this year.
"There are so many returning players," junior defendman Katie Lotz said. "Everyone knows their position and knows what they're supposed to do."
The Jumbos began preseason practices expecting to boast a defense led by the team's three senior tri-captains, defendmen Yael Tzipori and Lily Colahan and goalie Sara Bloom. Colahan, however, on Feb. 19 fractured her hand in a scrimmage against Stonehill College. Her recovery from surgery is likely to keep her out of much, if not all, of the season, leaving a huge hole in the Jumbos' signature zone defense.
Six players patrol different areas in this defensive system, relying on communication to cover attackmen. Colahan was crucial to this process, so other defensive players will have to step up in her absence.
"We're trying to get [the defense] back to the kind of unified way it was running two years ago," Tzipori said. "It requires a lot of communication, and people have to be able to see everything at the same time, but when it works, it works very well."
Primarily Juniors will run the attack and midfield. The attack features the versatile Third-Team All-American Steph Perez, last year's third leading point-scorer Lara Kozin and aggressive attacker Kelly Hyland. Juniors Sterling Champion, Emily Pillemer, Kelly Cakert and last year's second leading point-scorer Casey Egan will command the fast midfield.
After getting blown out by Stonehill in the first of their two preseason scrimmages — granted, it was the team's first time playing outside — the Jumbos have centered their focus on transitions and possession in the midfield.
"Since we've been able to get outside and use the big space, we've been working on transitions — the attack players playing defense when they lose the ball and defense trying to get the ball out when we cause a turnover," Tzipori said. "That's been our big focus, because it's all about who controls the ball and you always have to get it through the midfield at some point."
Although there are only three seniors on the roster, the Jumbos are by no means inexperienced. The team's nine juniors have all enjoyed considerable playing time in their past two seasons and they have taken a palpable leadership role this season.
"Our junior class is really big, so I think for us not to be stepping up and talking a lot would be ridiculous," Lotz said. "Because we're a very close team, there's not any hostility or awkwardness about someone who's not a senior speaking up."
Tzipori explained that clashes among teammates cast a shadow on last year's late-season play, but that morale and team chemistry are now as high as ever.
"There was a lot of conflict in our team last year and there was a lot of bitterness [after the playoff loss to Amherst], but that hasn't carried over [to this season] at all," Tzipori said. "Everyone has a great attitude because all that bitterness is behind us, and we feel like we can go anywhere this season because we all get along so well and everyone's playing so well."
The Jumbos, who last year went 6-3 in the NESCAC, will immediately be put to the test on Saturday as they begin the season on the same turf where their 2010 campaign ended — the Lord Jeffs' Gooding Field. Then, on March 18, the Jumbos will travel to Colby, the site of another 2010 defeat. In spite of its daunting early-season schedule, the team is embracing the challenge of playing against top NESCAC competition.
"Everyone is excited to play Amherst because they beat us twice last year, and Colby is always a huge game," Tzipori said. "There hasn't been any unease. Everyone's focused at practice and everyone seems to be in a good place about the season, so I guess we'll just have to see how it goes."
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update: This article inaccurately reported that senior tri−captain Lily Colahan had sustained a tear to ligaments in her leg. In fact, Colahan has a fractured hand.
