Tufts splits weekend series at home

Following Saturday’s overtime victory over defending NESCAC champion Conn. College at Kraft Field, the women's soccer team lost a close game to Trinity College on Sunday, 3-1. For Tufts, the story for much of the weekend was one of constant improvement, as nearly half the team is made up of new players.

“[The first-years] could not fit in any better,” senior forward Allie Weiller said. “This team is the closest of any I’ve been on. As far as we’re concerned, there are no freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors; there’s one team and one goal.”

Saturday’s game featured an impressive showing from offensive players, as both teams racked up shots -- 24 for Tufts and 20 for Conn. Neither the Jumbos nor the Camels, however, were able to take advantage of those ample scoring opportunities. Tufts first-year Alex Aronson managed the most shots for the Jumbos with seven, but none found the back of the net before the game was pushed into overtime. Much like the regulation time play, the first overtime was marked by an absence of goals. It wasn't until the second overtime when junior Jess Capone scored on a header, propelling the Jumbos to a 1-0 victory.

“Saturday’s game was a great showing of our team,” Weiller said. “We worked so hard, we came together, we connected passes and we didn’t stop fighting. Our energy level and pressure were on point, and we ended up getting the win in overtime. Jess Capone had a great header to win it.”

Having already suffered one loss in overtime this year, the Jumbos were not keen to have that repeated.

“Saturday we had really good energy, and we pressured [Conn. College] all over the field,” Capone said. “Going into overtime, we knew what it was like to lose like that [after coming up short against] Lesley [on Sept. 9], and we didn't want to feel that again.”

Capone’s goal was her first of the season, and it lifted the Jumbos to a 2-2 record in NESCAC play going into Sunday's game. Saturday also marked the first career shutout for rookie goalkeeper Emily Bowers.

Sunday’s game played out much differently than Saturday's, with both teams getting on the scoreboard in the first half.  Weiller put home Tufts' only goal in the 42nd minute of the game; Trinity had scored earlier in the half at the 13-minute mark. At halftime, the teams were tied 1-1.

The second half saw Trinity take the lead early on, with junior Laura Neescoring just over three minutes in. She would follow that with another goal at 74:50 to seal the win for Trinity. With the 3-1 loss to the Bantams, the Jumbos fell to 2-3 on the season.

Despite coming up short against the Bantams, the Jumbos remain concentrated on the future, rather than the past. All eyes are set on the NESCAC championship at the end of the season, where the Jumbos hope to find success.

“We have no doubt that we can turn it around in our next games,” Weiller said. “We hope to face Trinity again in the [NESCAC] tournament and show them what kind of team we are. [Sunday's game] showed us some things we still need to work on, and some things we are confident in.”

The weekend was filled with highs and lows for Tufts, whose goal remains constant improvement in search of the NESCAC title.

“Even though we’ve been inconsistent, we are a very resilient group,” Capone said. “As a team, I know we definitely want to make the NESCAC tournament and prove to the NESCAC and the country that we’re a team that needs to be reckoned with.”

The Jumbos, currently ranked No. 4 in the NESCAC, look to stay focused as they face four straight away games in the next two weeks. Next up for Tufts is Brandeis on Saturday, Sept. 26, and then the team will travel to MIT on Tuesday, Sept. 29 for the second of two non-conference games.