Women's soccer out-toughs Tufts

Author: David Lee

It all started with a simple head ball. Last Monday on the practice field, following up a solid 1-0 victory over Connecticut College, the women's soccer team was simply going through their daily drills. As tri-captain Christine Bolger '07 went up for a routine header, the worst sound an athlete can ever hear echoed as she landed: pop. Bolger may have torn her ACL, a potentially season-ending-injury. With one of their biggest leaders gone and a tough match-up with perennial rival Tufts the Panther season seemed to hang in the balance.

From the opening whistle, it appeared the Tufts squad just was not enough for the resolve of the Panthers. With fellow captain Bolger out of the line-up, senior tri-captain Caitrin Abshere '07 made her presence felt immediately. In the thirteenth minute, Abshere took a centering pass from Ashley Pfaff '09 and unleashed a rocket from outside the box to make it 1-0. After begging the training staff to clear her to play, senior midfielder Laura Kwoh '07 put the pain in her quad aside and headed a deflected shot into the corner of the net with 10 minutes left in the half to make it 2-0.

Tufts, however, came on strong after the half-time break and, 15 minutes in, slotted away an uncontested header off a corner kick to narrow the lead to 2-1. The remaining 30 minutes of the contest was a defensive battle. The Jumbos repeatedly pounded the ball in the Panther end for the majority of the second half. The Middlebury women, however, refused to break. Led by emerging defensive star Kim Kennedy '08, the Panther back line held strong to withhold the multiple Tufts offensive onslaughts. With the absence of Bolger in the back, Kennedy appears to be handling the newfound responsibility well. "She is a very capable player and did a great job of keeping the defense together," Bolger notes. "I am completely confident in her ability to lead the team." Goalkeeper Adele Plunkett '09 recorded 10 saves on the day as the Panthers were eventually victorious.

Some would believe that such a tragic injury like Bolger's would lead to a hole in the line-up, but although the senior captain's presence will be sorely missed, a promising first year class appears to be on the rise. Bolger comments, "They are a really strong class and saw playing time at all positions on Saturday." As for the freshmen year jitters? The seniors do not see that as a problem. "It was clear that it was their first NESCAC game, they were a little wound up, but they all definitely left their mark on the game," said Bolger.