Teams: Field Hockey: Press Releases

Tuesday, October 23

RUSSO EARNS NESCAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR AFTER TWO BIG JUMBO WINS

MEDFORD -- The Tufts field hockey team earned its best-ever finish in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) with victories at Wesleyan and at Williams last week. Sophomore Amanda Russo (Garden City, NY/Garden City) scored goals in both games and was named the conference's Player of the Week for her efforts.

Since NESCAC began round-robin play during the regular season in 2000, Tufts had never finished better than fourth in the conference. At 6-2 in the league entering the week, Tufts can finish no worse than third place and will host a first-round conference tournament game at Bello Field on Sunday.

Russo scored both the first and last goals of a great week for Coach Tina McDavitt's team. Traveling to Wesleyan on Wednesday, Russo set the tone by scoring 8:07 into the first half after a scramble in front of the Wesleyan net. Tufts had gotten off a shot from the left side which had been saved by Wesleyan sophomore goalie Breen McDonald, but the Jumbos kept the ball live in the circle and Russo put it home for her second goal of the year. The Jumbos went on to a 2-0 victory.

At Williams, where Tufts hadn't won since 1999, Tufts held a slim 2-1 lead with 10:18 left in the game when senior co-captain Ileana Casellas-Katz (Denmark, ME) crossed the ball to Russo, who jammed the ball into the goal. Tufts won the game 3-1, improving to a 9-3 record overall.

Russo is the second Tufts player to earn the NESCAC award this season Casellas-Katz was the recipient on September 10 after scoring two goals in the team's 3-1 victory at Colby to open the season. With three goals in her last four games, Russo is developing into another weapon for a Tufts offense that has scored 32 goals in 12 games. She played in nine games as a freshman last fall, and this season she worked her way into the starting line-up after five games.

Tufts finishes its season this week at home against Endicott on Tuesday night and on the road at Connecticut College Saturday. They will await word on their opponent in the first round of the NESCAC tournament on Sunday.

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