MEDFORD, MA (April 29, 2023) – The No. 7 Tufts University women's lacrosse team used a fast start and solid defense to hold off a late comeback attempt by No. 14 Amherst College to earn an 11-9 victory in NESCAC Quarterfinal action from Bello Field Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, Tufts (13-3) advances in the NESCAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, and will take on No. 2 seed Wesleyan College Saturday at 3 p.m. in action from Middlebury College.
The Jumbos scored the first three goals of the game as
Caroline Walter scored the opening goal off a nice feed by
Emma Joyce. After a
Courtney Kaufman save, Joyce scored her 40
th of the season as she raced down the field and made it 2-0 Tufts.
Margie Carden made it 3-0 as she was able to get into the middle of the defense and find the back of the net. Tufts' defense in the quarter held the Mammoths scoreless and forced them into two shot clock violations.
Bridget Finley got the Mammoths scoring started but Carden scored her second of the game just a minute later as the Jumbos were on the women-up. The lead grew to 5-1 as
Madeline Delaney scored from a free-position. After another Amherst goal, Carden scored a third time, giving her a first-half hat trick as it was
Kate Deehan who assisted on the goal. With 20 seconds remaining in the first half, Gena Gibbons scored from a free-position while the Jumbos were on the women-up again making the score 7-2 going to halftime.
The visiting Mammoths would cut the Jumbos lead down to four early in the third quarter as Carden scored her fourth of the game to give Tufts the 8-3 lead. Amherst would then go a four-goal scoring run over the final 10:17 of the third quarter to cut the Tufts lead all the way down to one, 8-7, going to the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter started with both team having free-position attempts but both defenses held strong and kept the game at a one goal differential. Joyce then scored a free-position goal that got Tufts' lead back up to 9-7. After a great defensive effort by
Mary Grace Reynolds to force a turnover, Deehan scored on a give-and-go feed from
Alexa Amorosino to make it 10-7 Tufts.
Another Amherst goal closed the gap, but
Ella Lesperance sealed the deal as Joyce found her open on the back side of the defense and put the Jumbos up 11-8. Amherst added another goal with 49 seconds remaining and looked to pull within one goal but Kaufman came up with a big save with 11 seconds left to ice the game.
Carden led the way for the Jumbos with four goals, with Joyce adding four points, two goals and two assists to go along with her five draw controls. Delaney also had five draw controls in the game.
Kaufman made nine saves in the game and scooped up three ground balls. Tufts was outshot in the game, 27-24, while also dropping the draw control battle, 13-11.
Finley scored four goals for Amherst while Emily Petersen added two goals to go along with her five draw controls.
--JUMBOS--
