Teams: Field Hockey: Press Releases

Monday, October 30, 2006

KELLY SCORES FIVE GOALS, WINS NESCAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

MEDFORD -- Freshman Michelle Kelly (Downington, PA/Downington West) enjoyed one of the best weeks in the history of the Tufts University field hockey program. It naturally ended with her selection as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week announced today.

In three Jumbo wins last week, Kelly scored five goals including all three game-winners. The biggest of them all was her tally with four minutes left in the game on Sunday (Oct. 29) that gave Tufts a 2-1 victory over Trinity in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament. It helped head coach Tina McDavitt's team advance to the conference semi-finals next Saturday (Nov. 4) against Middlebury College at Bowdoin College.

Kelly's best week ever started on Wednesday when she scored a hat trick in Tufts' 6-0 victory over Endicott College at home on Bello Field. The six goals were the most scored by a Jumbo team in a decade and Kelly had the first, third and fourth. Then on Saturday at home against Connecticut College, when Tufts needed a victory for a chance to host a first-round conference tournament game, Kelly scored in the 28^th minute to give her team a 1-0 lead on its way to a 2-0 victory.

With Tufts hosting a NESCAC Tournament game for the first time in the seven-year history of the tournament, Kelly was on the spot to knock in a strike off a corner by senior co-captain Stacey Watkins (Saint Louis, MO). Prior to the goal, the momentum in the game had swung strongly in Trinity's favor and they tied the score at 1-1 in the 61^st minute. Kelly's goal five minutes later put Tufts back in charge.

The goal against Trinity was the 10^th of the season for Kelly, the most by a freshman player at Tufts since Dana Chivvis scored 12 in 1999. Kelly leads the team in scoring with those 20 points.

"Michelle has made an immediate impact as a freshman," McDavitt said. "She's extremely composed with the ball, has great speed and a quick first step, and her stick skills and game sense are excellent."

Kelly is the third Jumbo to win the NESCAC Player of the Week Award this season. Tufts is 11-4 overall, the most wins by the team since the 1998 season.

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