The field hockey team saw its season come to a close over the weekend, as Wesleyan fell to fifth-ranked Tufts 2-0 in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. The loss followed a 3-2 victory at Connecticut College on Friday as Wesleyan ended its season at 8-7 overall and 3-6 in NESCAC play.

At Tufts, the second-seeded Jumbos used a goal in each half and a stifling defense to roll into the semifinals; the teams previously met in Medford in the 2007 first round, with Tufts defeating the Cardinals by the same score. Tufts wasted no time jumping on the board. The Jumbos drew first blood just 2:20 into the contest. Wesleyan netminder Tori Redding ’13, however, made 12 saves in the first half en route to a career-high 20 to keep the Jumbos at bay and keep it a 1-0 margin at halftime. Redding continued to shine in the second frame, as the Jumbos continued to keep the pressure on Wesleyan, but could not break through until the 53rd minute, as the Jumbos made it 2-0 with 17:38 remaining in the contest.

Tufts held a 35-3 edge in shots in the contest, as none of Wesleyan’s three shots were on net. Wesleyan’s one shot in the first half came off the stick of Ashley McLaren ’13, while both of the Cardinals’ scoring attempts in the second half were courtesy of Allie Lynch ’11. The Jumbos also took ten penalty corners to the Cardinals’ none.

Wesleyan had defeated Conn. College by a goal in New London to reach the tournament. The Camels ended Wesleyan’s season with a 4-3 overtime victory on Smith Field in 2008, but the Cardinals turned the tables this time and improved to 11-2 in their last 13 games against their in-state foe. Wesleyan never trailed in the contest, as Liz Chabot ’12 netted her fifth goal of the year off a pass from Taryn Murray ’13 just over 12 minutes in for a 1-0 lead. Conn. College tied the game in the 26th minute, but Jamie Thabault ’11 netted an unassisted tally with 4:20 remaining in the half for a 2-1 halftime lead. The Camels again tied the game in the 42nd minute, but Chabot put the Cardinals up for good three minutes later. Wesleyan finished seventh in the NESCAC standings with the victory; the Cardinals would have missed the postseason with a loss.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, there were a number of bright spots for Wesleyan in 2009. Attacker Morgan McCauley ’12 emerged as a force, leading the team with nine goals and four assists for 22 points to rank in the top 10 in the NESCAC in points and goals per game. Redding also proved to be a rock in the Cardinal cage; she currently ranks second in the conference in saves per game (8.73) and third in save percentage (.819). Wesleyan also took down two-time defending national champion Bowdoin in penalty strokes last month, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Polar Bears in the process.

Wesleyan graduates a trio of seniors: defenders Emily Wenzel and Caitlin Kent and attacker Alexa David. While these players will prove difficult to replace, the emergence of underclassmen such as McLaren, McCauley, and Redding paint a bright picture for the future of Wesleyan field hockey.