In This Corner
Scenes from a Marriage
Bridal-chest paintings gathered by a Tufts art historian offer glimpses of wedded life in the Italian Renaissance, and are now on view at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Field Hockey Team Reaches NCAA Finals
The Jumbos fall in double overtime, but end season with 19-2 record
By Paul Sweeney
The Tufts field hockey team came within one point of winning the NCAA Division III championship, but time ran out as they fell in a double overtime 3-2 loss to Bowdoin College on November 23.
Coach Tina McDavitt, left, and team captains Marlee Kutcher, A09, Brittany Holiday, A09, and Tess Jasinski, A09, with the NCAA second-place trophy. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Kelly
Tufts was playing in just the second NCAA championship game in school history. The Jumbos, who defeated Messiah College 5-2 in the national semi-finals, finished with a 19-2 record. Bowdoin also finished at 19-2.
The NCAA championship game was the rubber match between the NESCAC rivals this season. Tufts had won the first meeting 4-3 on Halloween to finish a 9-0 NESCAC season and earn the number-one seed in the conference tournament. Bowdoin scored a 1-0 victory in the conference championship game nine days later. After both won NCAA semifinal contests, they battled closely in the first double-overtime national championship final since 1988.
“This is a disappointing end to a great season,” Tufts Coach Tina McDavitt said. “We battled until the end like usual and just came up a little short. Once the sting from the loss wears off, we’ll appreciate what an amazing run this year has been.”
On a bright note, three members of the team were selected to the Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American teams for the 2008 season.
Junior Margi Scholtes is one of 16 players in the country named to the All-American first team. Sophomore Tamara Brown garnered All-American second team notice, and classmate Amanda Roberts is on the All-American third team. The three players honored mark the most ever for Tufts field hockey on the All-American list.
Sports Information Director Paul Sweeney can be reached at paul.sweeney@tufts.edu.
