MEDFORD, MA (April 30, 2024) - The No. 2 ranked Jumbos of Tufts University will play the next round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament on Saturday in Middlebury, Vermont, taking on No. 3 Wesleyan University in the semifinal round at Peter Kohn Field at Middlebury College.
Game Details
NESCAC Tournament Website
Opponent: vs. Wesleyan University (14-2, 8-2 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2024
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Middlebury, VT - Peter Kohn Field
Weather: Cloudy, Low 50s, Chance of Rain: 14%, Wind: E 10-15 MPH
Live Coverage: LIVE STATS -
LIVE VIDEO
Tufts vs. Wesleyan All-Time
The Jumbos are 35-8-1 against Wesleyan University all-time, with the first meeting coming back in 1976. Wesleyan took the last game on April 6, so the Jumbos are looking for their get back this Saturday. In that game, Tufts led 15-11 but Wesleyan rallied with six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter for the victory. These two teams have now played four times in the last two seasons, meeting three times in 2023 with Tufts earning wins in the NESCAC and NCAA Tournaments.
A Look At the Jumbos (13-2, 8-2 NESCAC)
The Jumbos are going into Saturday winning their last three games following a win against Trinity College in the NESCAC quarterfinals, 15-10.
Tufts comes into this weekend with the top-scoring offense in the conference, tallying 289 goals over their last 16 games. Tufts also comes into the game with a 51.4 shot percentage and ranking No. 4 in the nation with their offensive scoring. The offense is led by Margie Carden who has scored 55 goals on the year and broke the school record for most goals in a career for women's lacrosse last weekend (193).
The Jumbos are first in the NESCAC in assists per game with 9.00, which ranks 13th nationally, and Tufts also is the nation's top clearing squad with a success rate of 94.3 percent. Tufts is 10th in draw controls in the country with 17.81 per game, while also ranking second in the country in turnovers per game with only 12.1 per game.
Ella Lesperance leads the NESCAC in points with 80, while Carden is second with 78 this season. Both are within striking distance of the season record for points in a year of 88.
Allie Zorn has tallied 35 goals as well, but lately she has been a facilitator with eight assists in her last three games while dishing out at least one assist in the last six games. Zorn has 63 points on the year, while
Emma Joyce has 31 goals and 40 draw controls.
Defensively, the team is led by All-American Kathryn Fernandopulle who has forced 32 turnovers and 44 ground balls. Genna Gibbons has added a team-high 69 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers, while Madeline Delaney has added 55 draw wins, 18 grounds and eight caused turnovers. Junior keeper Pascale de Buren is allowing just 8.49 goals per 60 minutes this season, going 12-2 in cage for the Jumbos.
A Look At The Cardinals (14-2, 8-2 NESCAC)
Wesleyan comes into this game feeling confident after winning their last nine games and remains one of the hottest teams in the conference. Wesleyan however is looking for their first NESCAC title in school history.
Wesleyan beat Bowdoin College last Saturday 14-5 to move on to the semifinals. The Cardinals are near the top of the statistical team leaders in most of all categories in the league, ranking second in caused turnovers per game, scoring defense, save percentage and ground balls per game.
The Cardinals like to dodge and get to the free position arc, as Wesleyan is eighth in the country in free position percentage (.569). Olivia Lai is fourth in the country in free position percentage, scoring on 81.8 percent of her attempts.
Izzy Weintraub has a 45.3 percent save percentage, fourth in the conference, while Bridget Horst has 82 draw controls this season which ranks third in the NESCAC. Kiara Tangney is ninth in caused turnovers with 24.
Other Semifinal
The other NESCAC semifinal features No. 11 and fourth-seed Colby College against top seed and No. 1 Middlebury College. Middlebury is looking for its 12th all-time conference title, the most in the NESCAC, while Colby is in search of its fourth and first since 2017.
Middlebury is the last undefeated team in Division III women's lacrosse, and has the league's top defensive scoring mark with just 6.1 goals per game. The Panthers have the top goal scorer in the conference as Hope Shue tallies 3.50 per contest. Susan Rowley has added 54 goals, while Caroline Adams is 16th in the country and first in the NESCAC in draw wins with eight per game.
Colby is fourth in scoring margin in the conference this season, posting the fourth-most goals per game with 11.88. Ally Franz is fifth in the league in tallies per game with 2.81, while Julia Jardina has scored 39 times which is ninth in the NESCAC. Tate Ban is seventh in assists with 21 on the year, and Sarah Hearns is third in saves this season with 100 on the year. Kat Munter is the team's top defender, ranking in the NESCAC Top 10 in both caused turnovers and ground balls.
Other Games Around the Tournament
Saturday, May 4th
Semifinal Games
No. 12 Colby at No. 1 Middlebury - 12 p.m.
Sunday, May 5th
Final - 12 p.m.
Semifinal Winners
--JUMBOS--
