Teams: Field Hockey: Schedule & Results

TUFTS RECORDS FIRST WIN OVER MIDDLEBURY IN 22 YEARS

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY FINAL SCORE
Tufts 3, Middlebury 1

At Medford, MA
Saturday, September 15, 2007

Box Score

Margi Scholtes had two assists for the Jumbos

MEDFORD -- Tufts' offense was stellar today in their home-opener as they posted 22 shots and 11 corners, two of which were converted to goals, as the Jumbos earned a milestone 3-1 victory over fifth-ranked Middlebury College in a NESCAC game on Saturday afternoon at Bello Field.

Senior co-captain Ileana Casellas-Katz (Denmark, ME), last week's pick for NESCAC Player of the Week, scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals. Tufts now stands in first place in the NESCAC with a 2-0 mark. They are 2-1 overall. Middlebury falls to 2-1 and 1-1 in the league.

Despite clouds, wind, and rain, the Jumbos executed their skills and played with great cohesion as they defeated Middlebury for the first time since 1985. The visiting Panthers came out strong and quick, scoring the first goal within the first three minutes of the game. On a penalty corner, sophomore Madeline Macmillan (Milton, MA) fed senior Reid Berrien (Westport, CT) the ball for a shot to the opposite corner of the goal. The tally was Berrien's sixth in just three games.

However, Tufts quickly took advantage of their numerous penalty corners as Casellas-Katz popped in sophomore Margi Scholtes's (Dearborn, MI) deflected shot a little more than three minutes later. The half ended with a 1-1 tie.

In the second half, Tufts proved to be the upper team as they scored within the first seven minutes. Casellas-Katz popped the ball in after a shot saved by Middlebury's junior goalie Caitlin Pentifallo (River Edge, NJ) with 28:14 on the clock. Eight minutes later, Scholtes sent a rocket towards the cage on a free hit and sophomore Brittany Holiday (Wellesley, MA) tipped it into the opposite corner of the cage for a 3-1 Tufts advantage.

Pentifallo saw a lot of action in goal and made many strong saves, 14 total. Tufts first-year goalie Katie Hyder (Winston-Salem, NC) had five saves in the first half and saw no action in the second half.

Tufts will host Babson for a non-league game on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm under the lights at Bello Field. Middlebury will face Skidmore College also for a non-league game on Tuesday.

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