Coming Off Clutch Win At Bowdoin, Women's Soccer Has Confidence Heading Into Post-Season

Junior Alyssa Von Puttkammer has emerged as one of the league's better playmakers this fall

MEDFORD - Heading into the 2011 post-season, the Tufts University women's soccer team knows it can't take anything for granted.

Three weeks ago, head coach Martha Whiting's team was in second place in the competitive NESCAC after a strong 3-1 victory over Connecticut College. However, they would go 0-2-1 in their next three league games. That forced the team into a must-win (or tie) situation at Bowdoin on Wednesday in order to claim one of the four home berths into the NESCAC Championship. With a loss, Wesleyan would sneak in and take the fourth and final home berth.

Tufts responded by scoring twice in the second half to win 3-1 and secure that home-field berth into the NESCAC Championship. It's the eighth straight top-four performance for the Jumbo program. On the road, they beat a Polar Bear team that was 4-1-1 in its last six games. The only loss had been in two overtimes against an Amherst squad that finished 10-0 in the league.

"We played with heart and we were having fun doing it," Tufts senior co-captain Olivia Rowse said. "If you can have 11 players on the field doing those two things for 90 minutes, you are bound to get a good result. If we can carry that same drive over to the playoffs, I have no doubt in my mind that we can, and will, get it done."

The four-seed Jumbos will look to carry the momentum from Wednesday into their game against #5 seed Wesleyan on Saturday at Kraft Field. The Cardinals are 9-5 overall and have won six of their last seven games. First kick is at noon.

Recent history in the NESCAC Quarterfinals has also taught the Jumbos not to take anything for granted. Twice they have failed to advance to the semi-finals in the last three years because of penalty kicks. They lost to Bates in 2010 and Bowdoin in 2008 on kicks. Rowse and the other upperclass players doubly remember how it feels, and don't want to go there again.

"I'm not ready to bank on the third time being the charm," Rowse said. "We will not decide any of our games on penalty kicks this year. I think if we have learned anything from the last few years it is that we have to get the result in regulation time. In the end, I think both teams would agree, penalty kicks are the worst way to decide a game."

Their ultimate goal of winning the conference title would earn them an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. They were overlooked nationally last season after finishing first in the competitive NESCAC, but losing their playoff opener on PKs to finish at 8-2-4. With a 7-4-3 record entering the post-season this fall, they know their surest ticket to the NCAA's is to win it all. Amherst, Middlebury and Williams teams who finished above the Jumbos in the standings will have the most to say about that, but the Jumbos know they can take on anyone if they play their game.

"Our season ended too quickly last year," Rowse said. "If that isn't going to motivate us to play our hearts out, then I don't know what can. We need to play with heart and intensity and focus for 90 minutes. We know we are good, but it is going to take more than knowing that to win because every team we are going to face is also good. If we can commit ourselves to 90 minutes of heart, intensity and focus though, there will be no stopping us."

#