Tufts wins overtime showdown at Williams

No. 15 Tufts came from behind to win 2-1 at No. 20 Williams in its NESCAC field hockey game on Saturday. An overtime goal from senior midfielder Dakota Sikes-Keilp lifted the Jumbos past the Ephs for their seventh conference win.

With the win, the Jumbos go 10-4 overall with a 7-2 record in NESCAC, while the Ephs fall to 10-4, 6-3.

Both teams started out strongly, with continuous end-to-end action. The Jumbos’ attack was particularly impressive; it dominated the Ephs, especially around the 10-minute mark. However, they were to be denied by some skillful shot-stopping by Ephs junior goalkeeper Margaret Draper.

The Ephs eventually struck first, taking the lead in the 32nd minute after continuous and intensive offensive pressure. Shots from Williams sophomore midfielder Alex Bennett, senior forward Claire Swingle and first-year midfielder Meredith Wright saw their efforts denied by Tufts first-year goalkeeper, Emily Polinski. Williams broke through, however, when sophomore forward Hannah Goodrick scored on a penalty stroke, picking up her sixth goal of the season.

“It was frustrating going into halftime behind, but we used that frustration to energize us instead of letting it affect us negatively,” senior defender Alexandra Jamison said. “In two other games earlier this season [against Trinity and Christopher Newport], we were actually down at halftime and ended up winning the game, so at Williams we were confident that we had the ability to battle back and get the win. After a really positive halftime talk, we came back out determined to put the first half behind us and win the second half.”

Senior forward Hannah Park was happy with the way the team adapted to the conditions at Williams.

“I was impressed by the ability of our team to adapt to the bumpy surface and adjust to Williams’ style of play,” Park said. “There were many setbacks at first, but our team worked through them and didn’t let them hold us back.”

The Jumbos returned in the second half with more offensive pressure as they sought a way back into the match. Early shots from first-year forward/midfielder Hanaa Malik, sophomore midfielder Celia Lewis and junior tri-captain forward Dominique Zarrella could not find a way into the back of the Ephs’ net, but the increased focus on attack paid off. Malik received a pass from senior tri-captain midfielder Maggie Chapman in the 41st minute and proceeded to lift a shot over the oncoming Williams goalkeeper into the net to tie the game for Tufts.

The Ephs tried to retake the lead with good offensive play, pounding the Jumbos’ goal shot after shot, but the Jumbos held on. Both teams defended resiliently, playing tighter coverage on attackers and closing down the ball when they were not in possession. This made it difficult for each team’s offense to find a way to get the decisive breakthrough or to pull ahead on the score board.

With time running out, Williams senior midfielder Annie VanWangenen was yellow-carded and sent off temporarily. Tufts tried to take advantage of the situation as they poured players forward, looking to capitalize. The Jumbos earned two penalty corners in quick succession, the latter of which was at first awarded as a penalty stroke. Yet despite Sikes-Keilp’s best efforts, the Ephs held out and forced the game into overtime.

The yellow card for Williams did eventually prove costly, however, as Tufts made their temporary player advantage count in overtime almost immediately. From a corner, Jamison laid the ball off to Sikes-Keilp, who fired a shot off the boards from just inside the circle, granting the Jumbos the win. This was Sikes-Keilp’s second game-winning goal of the season.

“Definitely being able to come together and regroup during halftime [was the proudest moment for the team],” senior tri-captain midfielder Rachel Terveer said. “It’s never easy being down a goal, but I was really proud of everyone’s attitude and hard work and of everyone’s…outlook toward overtime. Everyone was on the same page, which really helped us score early in overtime.”

Jamison added that this win was important for the team in the postseason, as the Jumbos take to the court once again this upcoming weekend for the NESCAC tournament.

“Battling back and getting the overtime win over a team as good as Williams was really exciting, and I think we are pumped and ready to go for our last regular season game against Bowdoin this Wednesday,” Jamison said. “This win also guaranteed us the third seed in the NESCAC tournament, which means that we will have a home quarterfinal game, which is great for the team.”

Williams will travel to national No. 3 Middlebury on Wednesday, hoping to finish the season strongly, while Tufts next hosts national No. 1 Bowdoin on the same day.