MEDFORD, MA (March 3, 2023) – Sophomore
Ella Lesperance scored four goals in the second quarter as part of a seven-goal quarter for the Jumbos that gave the #2-ranked Jumbo women's lacrosse team the lead for good en-route to a 14-9 win over #24 Amherst College at Bello Field Saturday afternoon.
Lesperance scored on the women-up advantage for the Jumbos off a beautiful pass from
Emma Joyce to tie the game at 5-5 with 5:57 remaining in the second quarter. Following an
Allie Zorn goal to gain the lead for the Jumbos, Lesperance score twice in the span of 22 seconds to help give Tufts an 8-5 lead going into halftime.
In the seven-goal second quarter, the Jumbos went down 3-1 early after a Clara Sosa goal for the Mammoths but responded with three goals in the span of one minute punctuated with a
Margie Carden goal following a
Madeline Delaney draw control. Amherst would get two goals back of their own before the Jumbos ended the quarter on a four-goal run.
The visiting Mammoths would get two back in the third quarter to cut the deficit to one. Emily Peterson scored her third goal of the game in the stretch while Bridget Finley added a women-up goal. Tufts would push its lead back up to two as Carden scored an unassisted goal.
The Jumbo defense would play a key role in Tufts taking over the game in the second half. They allowed just four Amherst goals in the third and fourth quarters combined, including senior goalie
Courtney Kaufman making six of her nine saves in the second half.
Tufts continued to build its lead to start the fourth as Delaney and Joyce scored less than 30 seconds apart to give them an 11-7 advantage.
Caroline Conaghan joined in on the scoring as she scored twice later in the quarter to help put the Jumbos out in front as they put the game away.
Carden and Conaghan both added to the Tufts offense with three goals. Delaney had eight draw controls and added a goal and an assist. Tufts finished the game leading in draw controls 14-13. As a defense the team caused seven turnovers with Joyce leading the way causing two.
Peterson had four goals and had three draw controls for Amherst, while Finley finished with two goals. Colleen Mooney controlled nine draws. The Mammoths split halves in goal with Jessye Salmon starting and making four saves and Caroline Stole stopping seven shots in the second half.
The two teams finished the game even on shots at 27 each. Amherst finished the game with a 14-9 advantage in ground balls.
--JUMBOS--
