Introduction of 2000 Tufts Women's Soccer Team, presented by Kim Penney, 1992 Tufts University Graduate and Hall of Fame Selection Committee Member (substituting for Bill Gehling)

This year, out of the 23 Jumbo teams that participate in NCAA-sponsored sports, 19 of them qualified for and competed in their respective NCAA Tournament or Championship. We have gotten sort of used to that, but it hasn’t always been that way. 

In the 70’s and 80’s, NESCAC rules didn’t permit teams to participate in the NCAA tournament, and many strong Jumbo teams missed out on that opportunity. In fact, it wasn’t until 1993 that the NESCAC first started allowing teams to participate in the NCAA tournament. And even in the mid-1990’s, the idea of hosting NCAA tournament play was a bit of a foreign concept at Tufts.

But thanks in large part to the Tufts women’s soccer team, it didn’t take long for Tufts to experience and understand what the NCAA Tournament was all about. When the 1998 women’s soccer team earned their first-ever berth and advanced to the Elite 8, they gave the Tufts campus one of its first tastes of NCAA post-season excitement.

And then, to really get things going, along came the 2000 women’s soccer team!  

Bill Gehling, the new Director of Athletics at the time after many years as women's soccer head coach, made the wise decision a year before to elevate Assistant Coach Martha Whiting to the Head Coach role. In the team’s second season under Martha’s leadership, the talented Jumbos got off to a strong start with shutout wins over Babson and Wesleyan. But after stumbling against Middlebury, the 3-1 Jumbos faced off against a good Colby College team at Kraft Field. In what felt like a must-win game early in the season, the Jumbos were trailing the Mules 2-0 in the second half. But then, with their backs against the wall, the Jumbos dug deep and rallied to score two goals in the final 20 minutes and send the game to overtime. And after an apparent winning goal for the Jumbos was called back, the undaunted Jumbos scored again in double overtime for the 3-2 win.  

That gritty victory served as a springboard for the rest of the season and helped create a team mindset that there was no ceiling on what they could accomplish that year. 

Led by senior tri-captains Sara Yeatman, Carmen Mikacenic, and Randee McArdle, the Jumbos proceeded to win 10 of their next 13 games, finish the regular season with a 14-3-1 record, and earn their second NCAA tournament berth. From there, they began mowing down the competition and moving through the NCAA bracket. First they routed the University of New England 5-0. And then, in a close second round game, the Jumbos beat Bowdoin on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. 

Next up for the Jumbos in the Sweet 16 was a tough road game against regional power Wheaton College. But the Jumbos traveled to Norton, Mass and tamed the Lyons with a 3-1 win. And one week later, Tufts hosted William Smith College in the Elite 8 and defeated them 1-0. 

With that victory, the 2000 women’s team became the first team in the history of Tufts Athletics to advance to the Final Four of an NCAA tournament.  

At that time, senior Sara Yeatman said, “It just seems natural that we are still playing at this point. We all love to be out there playing and it really shows in our attitudes at practice and in the way we act with each other. We have skill across the board, and then we have heart. We are truly doing this for each other and that has helped us persevere."

Shortly after their milestone victory over William Smith, Sara and her teammates got some really exciting news – not only would the Jumbos be playing in the Final Four, but Tufts had been selected by the NCAA as the host site for the games. 

Regarding that news, the Tufts Daily wrote at time: “In the past, the closest Tufts students had gotten to the Final Four of an NCAA Tournament was watching the Cincinnati Bearcats practice in Cousens Gymnasium. Until now. An announcement from the NCAA Sunday night revealed that the women’s soccer team will continue its magical season on its home turf, as the Jumbos play host to the NCAA Final Four this weekend.” 

With teams from Wisconsin, Texas, and New Jersey heading to Medford for the championship weekend, the onus was on the Tufts community to show support for its most successful team. And on Saturday, November 18, more than 1,000 cheering Jumbo fans greeted Coach Whiting and the Jumbos as they walked onto Kraft Field for their national semi-final game against Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 

After 90 minutes of competitive play, the game remained tied at 0-0. But ultimately, the Jumbo faithful were rewarded for their support when, in the 102nd minute, Lynn Cooper scored the unassisted game-winner. That historic goal, which secured goalkeeper Randee McArdle’s fourth shutout of the NCAA tournament, sent the team into the national championship game. 

Unfortunately, the team’s dream season didn’t end the way the Jumbos had hoped. The next day in the NCAA Final, Tufts lost a true heart-breaker 2-1 to the College of New Jersey on a goal that crossed the line with just three seconds remaining in regulation.

Despite the stinging loss, the 2000 team’s 18 wins that year remain the most in program history. Sara Yeatman and Randee McArdle were named All-Americans, and Coach Whiting was named the Division III National Coach of the Year. 

And as a team, the Jumbos’ performance that season holds a special place in Tufts Athletics history. The 2000 women’s soccer team introduced the excitement of NCAA tournament play to the Tufts campus – and even more important, their NCAA tournament success sent an early signal to the nation that the Tufts University Jumbos were hungry and ready to compete for national championships. And by showing everyone else what was possible, this trailblazing team set the table for the NCAA championships that would arrive in Medford just a few years later.

Please join me in welcoming our 2000 women’s soccer team into the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame!