In the past week, the women’s soccer team experienced both victory and defeat, winning a close contest 1-0 over Husson University before falling to Tufts University 3-0. After these games, the Mules move to 1-2 in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play and 3-2 overall.

The first matchup against Husson on Wednesday, Sept. 21, demonstrated the Mules’ defensive strength as the back line held the Eagles to just three shots on the match, with none occurring in the second half of play. Defenders Kat McCarrick ’13, Kate Pistel ’14, Grace Dickinson ’14 and Emily Moos ’12 remained tightly organized throughout the game and were a leading factor in the Mules’ narrow victory.

On offense, the Mules tallied 17 shots, four of which came from first-year Maddie Tight, who also scored the game-winning goal with 21:22 remaining in the second half. To begin the play, Crysti Tsujiua ’14 passed the ball through to Tight who then pushed it past a defender and into the net off of a powerful, left-footed shot.

The next match of the week, played at home on Saturday, Sept. 25, proved much less successful for the Mules. Despite an enthusiastic Mule Mob crowd, the women were shut out against the Tufts Jumbos, who remain unbeaten in NESCAC play.

Tufts’ first goal, courtesy of Jamie Love-Nichols, came off of a breakaway in the 11th minute of the first half and was followed approximately 27 minutes later by another goal from Maeve Stewart. In the second half, a corner kick attempt ended in a goal when Alina Okamoto placed the ball in the net following a chaotic struggle in front of the net. In total, the Jumbos recorded 15 saves while the Mules tallied 10, indicating the Mules’ inability to convert their chances on offense.

The Mules are scheduled for three games in the coming week. The first, a match against the University of Maine at Farmington, will be played at home on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 3:30 p.m. The following two matches, against Trinity College and Wesleyan University, will be played on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 in Hartford, Conn. and Middletown, Conn., respectively.