Box Score LANCASTER, PA - Host Franklin & Marshall College scored the first six goals and led 9-2 early on their way to a 17-8 victory over Tufts University in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Championship played at Tylus Field on Saturday.
The Dipolomats (19-2), chasing their third NCAA title, move on to the national quarterfinals which they will host on Sunday. Franklin & Marshall will play either Fredonia or Washington and Lee on Sunday at 2:30. The winner will go to the NCAA "Final Four."
Tufts, which battled back to within 9-5 early in the second half, saw its season end with a 12-7 record. The Jumbos were led by two goals each from seniors Lindsey Walker and Kali DiGate as well as first-year Jenn Duffy.
The hosts scored four goals in the opening 4:30 by four different players and led 6-0 barley 11 minutes into the game. Grace Saliba, with a goal and an assist, was the only Diplomat to record more than one point during the opening run.
Walker got Tufts on the board with an unassited goal at 17:26, but F&M responded with back-to-back goals by Brittney Jorgenson making it 8-1. However, the Jumbos would finish the half strong by outscoring the Diplomats 3-1 during the final 8:18. Duffy had two during this stretch and the deficit was 9-4 at the break.
When junior Brigid Bowser scored the opening goal of the second half at 27:39, the Jumbos were within 9-5. Franklin & Marshall doused any momentum though by scoring the next four, two by Jorgenson and two by Paige Moriarty. That put the hosts up 13-5.
Tufts' last gasp was DiGate's goal at 16:03, but F&M scored four out of the next five to put the game away.
Franklin & Marshall won 20 of 27 draw controls to dominate possession, led by an outstanding 11 from Anastasia Mergner. Samantha Blicht finished with three caused turnovers for the winners and Danielle Harrington played the vast majority of the game in goal and made six saves.
Nine different players scored goals for the Diplomats, led by five with an assist from Jorgenson. Moriarty had three tallies with an assist and Kimberly Abruzzo knotched three goals. Saliba finished with a goal and three assists. F&M recorded a 32-22 advantage in shots.
The Jumbos did cause 13 of Franklin & Marshall's 15 turnovers, including five by senior first team All-American Emily Wright. Senior Jaymi Cohen scooped up three gound balls as Tufts earned a slight edge there, 13-11. First-year Hannah Wiltshire started in goal for Tufts and was relieved late in the first half after making two saves. Senior Rachel Gallimore stopped three shots in 30:15 of action.
By advancing to the NCAA third round, head coach Courtney Farrell's Jumbos matched the furthest any Tufts team has gone in NCAA's. The 2009 Jumbos also lost a third-round game at Franklin & Marshall. Tufts' NCAA berth was its first since 2011 this spring, as was qualifying for the NESCAC semi-finals.
Game Photos by Brian Schneider
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