(Andrew Ribner/Photo Editor)

The Wesleyan field hockey team traveled up to Boston this past Saturday to take on eighth-ranked Tufts for its second NESCAC test thus far. The Cardinals ceded two goals early to the Jumbos, who would make the score line stand for a 2-0 victory.

Tufts took control from the opening whistle, scoring mere minutes into the match.  The Jumbos were awarded a penalty stroke just two minutes into the contest after the ball was covered near the Wesleyan goal.  Wesleyan goalkeeper Tori Redding ’13 managed to get a piece of the Tufts stroke by co-captain Taylor Dyer ’12, but the ball ricocheted off her pads and up into the corner of the net for a Tufts goal.

Tufts tallied another goal just five minutes later, this time originating from a penalty corner play.  Again Redding was able to block the incoming shot from Tufts’ Emily Cannon ’14, only for the rebound to find the stick of Kelsey Perkins ’13, also of Tufts, who would put the ball into the back of the net to take the Jumbos to a two goal lead.

Redding finished the contest with 13 saves as the Cardinals were outshot 27-8 by the hosts, with 15 shots on goal by the Jumbos.  Wesleyan only managed two shots on goal during the game, with one opportunity coming on a shot by Ashley McLaren ’13 off a corner that was saved by the Tufts goalkeeper.

“We can’t win without scoring,” said senior co-captain Morgan McCauley, “So I think that our focus from here on out is to get the ball in the cage.”

While the team got off to a rocky start with two goals given up in the first eight minutes of the contest,  McCauley was proud of how the team stepped up its performance and battled the Jumbos after getting behind early.

The Cardinals came out as a stronger team in the second half of the game, splitting possession with the Jumbos and threatening the Tufts goal until the end, managing a shot on goal off a penalty corner as time expired but failing to put a score on the board.  Tufts secured its first NESCAC win of the season with the 2-0 victory, while the Cardinals hope to get their first conference win this Saturday as they take on Little Three rival Williams College on Smith field at noon.

The Cardinals hope to notch another out-of-conference victory before then, however, as Wesleyan is set to host the Wellesley College Blue this Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.