Box Score
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| Nicole Arata was one of three seniors honored before the game |
MEDFORD – In a nail biter on rain-soaked Ounjian Field the No. 4 Tufts field hockey team pulled out a 3-2 over No. 20 Williams on Saturday afternoon. Three different Jumbos scored on Senior Day, and the Jumbo honored seniors Dominique Zarrella, Annie Artz and Nicole Arata prior to the start of the game.
With the win the Jumbos move to 12-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play. The Ephs drop to 9-5 overall and 5-4 in NESCAC play with the loss.
It was the Jumbos that struck first and they did it early when they drew a penalty corner 6:28 into the first half. Junior Mary Travers inserted to classmate Celia Lewis who passed the ball over to fellow classmate Erin Sanders just inside the circle. Sanders unleashed a rifle that went right past Eph goalie Margaret Draper to give the Jumbos the 1-0 advantage.
The Jumbos would make it 2-0 just over 30 minutes into the half when a shot off the stick of Arata was saved, but Travers found the rebound and pushed the ball into the left corner of the goal to give the Jumbos the 2-0 advantage.
The Jumbos would go into halftime with a 2-0 lead, and at that time also had an 8-1 advantage in shots and a 3-0 advantage in penalty corners. Just after the second half began the game was suspended due to large amounts of water on the field. After a roughly 45 minute delay, the water was fully cleared and the two teams were able to resume play.
Williams was able to really pick up the offensive pressure in the second half, and they got on the board just over ten minutes into the second half when Charlotte Cooper fired the ball at the goal and Meredith Wright was able to deflect the ball into the goal and past the diving Jumbo keeper, sophomore Emily Polinski.
The Jumbos would add what they thought would be an insurance goal just about six minutes later. Sanders rifled a shot that an Eph stopped with their foot, resulting in a penalty stroke. Junior Mary Kate Patton took the stroke for the Jumbos and fired the ball into the left corner of the goal past a diving Draper to give the Jumbos the 3-1 advantage.
The Ephs did not give up, and they were able to come within one tallying their second goal of the game in similar fashion to their first. With just about 14 minutes remaining in the game Rachel Brissette put a shot towards the goal that once again Wright was able to deflect into the goal to bring the Ephs within a score.
But, the Jumbos defense played well under pressure, especially junior Ellexa Thomas, sophomore Issy Del Priore and Arata, and the Jumbos were able to hold on to the 3-2 win.
The Jumbos finished with the advantage in shots, 12-5 and penalty corners, 4-1. Draper finished with two saves, while her Jumbo counterpart, Polinski, tallied one in the win.
The Ephs and the Jumbos both have huge games coming up this week. The Ephs take on Middlebury on Tuesday and Middlebury is currently in a four way tie for third place in the conference standings with Amherst, Bowdoin and Trinity. The Jumbos are in first place in the conference standings as of now, but play Bowdoin on Wednesday. A win could secure a first place finish and give the Jumbos hosting rights throughout the NESCAC Tournament.
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