Field hockey opens up season with NESCAC victory

The weather was beautiful for the Jumbos' home and season opener on Bello Field on Saturday, where they were tested in the first half by the Colby Mules. Although the eighth-ranked Tufts was opening its season against its unranked NESCAC foe from Waterville, Maine. the team did not put the first goal of the season on the board until the last minute of the first half.  Ultimately, however, the Jumbos pulled away for a decisive 3-0 victory to begin the fall campaign with high expectations and excitement.

The first half went back and forth; both teams earned quality chances, but neither was able to take the lead. Tufts was able to break through with just 27 seconds left in the half: senior tri-captain midfielder Maggie Chapman fed a penalty corner to senior midfielder Dakota Sikes-Keilp, who ripped a shot that first-year midfielder/forward Gigi Tutoni -- who was playing her first game in brown and blue -- was able to knock past Colby senior co-captain goalkeeper Sarah Evans for the first goal of the season. Despite having a lead of only one goal, the Jumbos outshot the Mules 12-4 in the first half and earned seven penalty corners as opposed to the Mules' one.

“We were getting some shots on net and we were happy with the pressure we were putting on them, but we really needed to finish,” coach Tina McDavitt-Mattera said. “So it was great to get that goal right at the end of the first half.”

Tufts kept the pressure up in the second half, and their efforts paid off with two more goals, both off the stick of sophomore midfielder Celia Lewis. The two goals, which came just 18 seconds apart from each other, were the first two of her career. Both came off penalty corners, which seem to be a spot where the Jumbo offense finds comfort. Sikes-Keilp picked up another assist on Lewis’ second goal and led the team with two assists on the day.

“I put in so much time and effort to work toward striking on corners, and this past week we have been practicing corners everyday so I'm glad the hard work paid off,” Lewis said. “Truthfully, I am most happy I scored for my teammates. They did all the effort to get the corner and I just wanted to make sure I could score for them.”

This was Colby’s second game of the season, following a 4-2 win over Thomas College on Wednesday. The Mules found the back of the cage four times in that game, but they were shut out by Jumbo sophomore goalie Libby DesRuisseau, who was making the first start of her career after watching Bri Keenan (LA'15) defend the cage last season. Colby finished the game with 13 shots, eight of which were on goal, but was not able to crack the DesRuisseau code -- the sophomore posted the first clean sheet of her career. The Mules fell to 1-1 on the young season.

“[Libby] was really a great goalie last year,” McDavitt-Mattera said. “So she came back this year and she’s super fit and ready to go. I thought she came out and just played great and was really ready to start.”

The Tufts offense created a lot of chances on Saturday, including a total of 16 penalty corners to Colby’s four. Junior tri-captain Dominique Zarrella led the Jumbos with six shots on goal, but Evans, who earned second team all-NESCAC honors a year ago, saved them all.

It was a Saturday of firsts for the Jumbos; many players, including Lewis, Tutoni and DesRuisseau, picked up their first respective milestones in their collegiate careers. The most important first, perhaps, was Tufts' first win of the season. The team will go for number two on Tuesday, Sept. 15 when local rival Babson College visits Bello Field at 4 p.m. 

“Our motto is to take one game at a time,” Lewis said. “To us, the upcoming game on Tuesday in our mind is our only game of the season.”