MEDFORD, MA (November 2, 2025) -- The Tufts University women's soccer team, winners in its four and unbeaten in the last nine contests, will head to Salem, Virginia for the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament Final Four this upcoming weekend. Tufts will battle No. 2 Emory University Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Roanoke College's Kerr Stadium in Salem, VA, looking to advance to the national title game for just the second time in program history.
Game Details
Tournament Schedule:
NCAA Tournament Page
Thursday, December 4, 2025
3:00 p.m. - No. 1 seed Washington University of St. Louis (20-0-2) vs. No. 4 seed University of Chicago (16-2-3)
6:30 p.m. - No. 2 seed Tufts University (18-1-3) vs. No. 3 seed Emory University (20-1-1)
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Regional Final
12:00 p.m.
Location: Salem, VA –
Kerr Stadium at Roanoke College
Against Other Final Four Teams All-Time
The Jumbos and Eagles will square off for the first time in program history this upcoming weekend, as these two metropolitan powers have never crossed paths. In fact, any match-up that Tufts plays this weekend will be a first all-time meeting as Tufts has also never played the University of Chicago or WashU in school history. The Jumbos have played one UAA school in the NCAA Tournament recently, defeating University of Rochester 1-0 back in 2023 to move into the national semifinals.
A Look At The Jumbos (18-1-3)
Tufts will be making its fourth trip to the national semifinals this upcoming weekend in Salem, getting back to this point for the second time in three seasons after drawing with Cal Lutheran two years ago before falling in penalties in 2023.
The Jumbos have already tied the school record for wins in a season with 18, matching the 2000 season that saw the Jumbos make the NCAA Final before falling to The College of New Jersey 2-1 in the title match.
Tufts is under the direction of 26th year head coach
Martha Whiting, who is the longest tenured coach at Tufts while her 262 wins are the 20th most in Division III among active coaches where all the victories have come at one school.
This season the Jumbos have been consistently one of the hardest teams teams to breakdown during the year, ranking first in the NESCAC this season in shutout percentage as 64 percent of the Jumbos games have ended in clean sheets. This includes the NCAA Tournament, where Tufts has outscored its opposition 12-0 through the first four games. The Jumbos have allowed just 0.448 goals per game this season, 15th best in NCAA Division III and best in the NESCAC.
On the other side of the ball, Tufts led the NESCAC in goals per game this year with 2.41, while its 22.68 shots per game were 10th most in the nation and tops in the NESCAC as well. During the NCAA Tournament, Tufts ranks third in scoring offense with 3.00 goals per game, while its 27 shots per game are second most and best of the remaining four squads.
The Jumbos started the NCAA Tournament with home wins over Lesley University (7-0) and Wesleyan University (2-0), before besting host Middlebury College 2-0 in the Third Round. In the NCAA Quarterfinals, Tufts got a 99th minute game-winning goal over Mary Washington to earn a 1-0 victory in a blizzard at Middlebury.
Tufts broke the school record for goals in a season in its last game, and now has 53 scores on the season while allowing only 10 on the year. The 10 goals allowed thus far is the fewest in a season since the 1998 season when the Jumbos gave up only nine.
The Jumbos have gotten another strong performance this season from NESCAC Player of the Year
Elsi Aires, who became the first-ever two-time, back-to-back NESCAC Player of the Year in 2025. Aires has netted 11 goals while adding five assists, scoring four game-winning goals on the season. For her career, Aires has posted 41 goals and 15 assists for 97 points. She ranks second all-time at Tufts in both goals and points, while her 15 helpers are the sixth-most.
Aires is just one of many players that have been finding the net for the Jumbos, as NESCAC First Team midfielder
Reese Birch has been one of the breakout players on a team of many. Birch has scored 11 goals to go with seven assists, as she ranks second in the NESCAC in points per game with 1.32 while her 29 points sit atop of the NESCAC ledger.
Senior
Caroline Kelly leads the team with nine assists on the year in just 13 games, while first-year
Claire Brady has stepped into the starting lineup and contributed five goals and four assists including scoring the game-winning goal against Middlebury College in the Sweet 16 Round.
Sophomore
Maren Jones brings quality in off of the bench in the midfield as Jones has four goals and two assists, with two goals being of the game-winning variety. Junior
Waverly Sumner netted the OT game-winner against Mary Washington, and has seven assists on top of her three goals.
Four other players have scored three goals this season for the Jumbos, as 12 players have scored two or more tallies on the year. Defensively, NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year
Lena Sugrue has been an anchor in the back, while center back partner
Phoebe Marsick has teamed with Sugrue to form a strong partnership.
Junior
Maggie Rogers and senior
Anna Griffin have been mainstays as outside backs for the Jumbos, as the pair have started all 22 games for the Jumbos. Junior
Emily Nicholas, an All-American type holding midfielder, is a dynamo in the middle and has played the entire game in five of Tufts last seven games.
Senior
Aoife O'Reilly has stepped into the starting lineup and scored three goals, providing some flair and a strong two-way midfielder option. In goal,
Gigi Edwards has been a wall with 11 shutouts this season, a new school-record, while her 21 shutouts are now third all-time at Tufts behind just Randee McArdle '01 (24) and Emily Bowers '19 (28). Her 54 games in net are also already tied for second-most ever at Tufts.
More Jumbo Notes:
- This is the fourth NCAA "Final Four" for the Jumbos women's soccer team, with the previous three coming in 2000, 2005 and 2023. Tufts is looking for its first NCAA crown in program history.
- Tufts is in its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth straight. The Jumbos have been in the NCAA Tournament seven times since 2017.
- The Jumbos won their second-ever NESCAC crown this year and first since 2002, defeating Williams College in penalties after a 1-1 draw.
- Tufts has only ever had two head coaches in the programs 47-year tenure. Whiting is in her 27th year and 26th season with the Jumbos, taking over for her former coach Bill Gehling in 1999. Gehling was the head coach from 1979 to 1998, winning 165 games for Tufts.
- The Jumbos have been trailing in just three games all season, against Williams College in the season opener and NESCAC title game, along with their lone loss to Amherst on October 14. In all, the Jumbos have trailed in just 96:23 of the season while 65:04 of that coming in the NESCAC title game.
- On the season, Tufts has outshot its opponents 499-160 while it has been outshot in a game just twice all season, an 11-7 edge by MIT and an 12-11 advantage by Colby in the NESCAC semifinals.
- In the same breath, Tufts has chalked up an edge in corner kicks in all but one of 22 games this season, with MIT and Tufts each having four in their October 1 contest.
- Tufts has not allowed a goal in 439 minutes of game action, while also not giving up a goal away from Bello Field since September 16 when Gordon College scored an equalizer to make it 1-1 in a 2-1 victory for the Jumbos. Tufts has allowed just one goal this season when playing away from home.
- The Jumbos are 8-0-1 in road and neutral site games in 2025.
- Tufts is 5-0-1 this season against teams with bird mascot names, going 2-0-1 against the Cardinals of Wesleyan, while topping Endicott College 2-0 (Gulls), Trinity College 2-0 (Bantams) and Mary Washington 1-0 (Eagles).
- The last time Tufts played the No. 2 team in the nation was in 2024, when the Jumbos defeated Amherst College 2-1.
This Week's Final Four Competition
Emory put together a dominant 20-1-1 season built on elite balance, outscoring opponents 66-7 and averaging nearly 22 shots per match. The attack ran through Kaitlyn Nimmer, who led the team with 13 goals, 10 assists, 36 points, and a staggering 106 shots. She was complemented by Mikayla Camp's clinical finishing (11 goals, 5 game-winners) and the playmaking of Madison Teng, who added six goals and seven assists. Depth scoring was another major strength, with Emory Bozzuti (5g/5a), Zia Tomlin (6g in 14 matches), and Sophia Asiain (4g/2a) all providing reliable production across the front line and midfield.
Across the field, Emory overwhelmed opponents with pressure and variety—nine players recorded at least three assists, and 14 different field players scored. Their shot differential (480-168) and corner margin (107-60) reflect how consistently they controlled matches. Nimmer, Camp, Teng, and Bozzuti combined for 15 game-winning goals, giving them multiple threats capable of deciding matches late. Even role players like Sophia Cho, Katie Hungness, and Michelle Davidson chipped in timely goals, keeping defenses from keying in on only one or two attackers.
Defensively, the Eagles were elite. They allowed just seven goals all season and recorded 16 shutouts, anchored by one of the best goalkeepers in Division III this year: Sophia Garcia. Garcia played over 1,700 minutes with a 0.31 GAA, an .898 save percentage, and a 20-1-1 record, making 53 saves while commanding a back line that gave up only 7.6 shots per game. Emory saw Michelle Davidson earn UAA Defensive Player of the Year, while she was one of three UAA First Team honorees with Garcia and Nimmer. Emory earned a 1-0 win over Pomona-Pitzer in the Elite 8 to earn a spot in the NCAA semifinals. Emory has topped Belhaven, Rhodes and Johns Hopkins as well in the NCAA Tournament.
WashU enters the national semifinals unbeaten at 20-0-2 with one of the most complete statistical profiles in Division III. The Bears outscored opponents 81-7 and averaged 24 shots per match, with their front line and midfield producing multiple high-end scoring threats. Olivia Clemons leads the attack with 17 goals, five assists, and 39 points while generating 86 shots. She is paired with elite finishing from Grace Ehlert (14 goals, .326 shot percentage) and dynamic play making from Ella Koleno, who has 8 goals and a team-high 11 assists. Cami Colpitts (8g/3a), Heidi Fesler (6g/6a), and Sophie Viscovich (4g/9a) give WashU a deep, balanced attack that can break opponents down in multiple ways.
The Bears' midfield production is particularly impactful. Koleno, Fesler, Viscovich, and Madi Foley (5g/3a) collectively control possession and chance creation, helping WashU generate a massive 528–110 shot advantage and a 130–46 corner margin. Four different players have at least four game-winning goals, with Ehlert and Koleno especially dangerous in tight matches. Rotational scoring from Kate Martin (4g), Anna Rosato (3g), and several key depth players expands their versatility—19 different field players have recorded at least one point.
Defensively WashU is statistically elite. They've conceded only seven goals all season and allow just 5.0 shots per game, one of the lowest defensive marks in the country. The goalkeeping duo of Kassidy Lanthier and Suzie Green has been outstanding: Lanthier owns a 0.32 GAA and .828 save percentage over 1,400+ minutes, while Green adds a 0.38 GAA, .800 save percentage, and two shutouts. Together they have backstopped 15 team shutouts while facing just 40 shots on goal across 22 games.
Clemons was named as the UAA Offensive Player of the Year, while Ehlert and Viscovich were both UAA First Team honorees. WashU is looking for its third NCAA title and second in two seasons.
Chicago arrives in Salem at 16-2-3 with one of the most efficient attacks and strongest defensive resumes among the remaining teams. The Maroons scored 59 goals on just 345 shots, posting the highest shot percentage (.171) of any Final Four team. They are built on balance rather than relying on one scorer. Indira Naylor (9 goals, 4 assists) and Mary Stuart Kerrigan (8 goals, 5 assists) lead the group, with Kerrigan particularly dangerous on penalties (4-for-4). Lucy Harrison-Caldwell (6g/4a), Kate Bruntlett (6g), and Kamiryn Braxton Grimes (5g/3a) round out a deep scoring core that keeps pressure spread across all three lines.
The Maroons' midfield is notably productive in buildup and transition. Annabel Edwards (2g/6a) and Ella Cho (2g/5a) provide consistent chance creation, while Kaitlyn Gomez (3g/3a), Avery Gallucci (4g), and Karena Shah (4g) deliver valuable secondary scoring. Chicago generates 16.4 shots per game and owns a strong 135-55 corner advantage, fueled by their ability to advance wide players and win territory in the attacking half. Sixteen players have scored this season, giving the attack meaningful depth and tactical flexibility.
Defensively, Chicago is sturdy and organized. They have allowed only 15 goals in 21 matches and concede just 5.4 shots per game. Center back play and midfield shielding limit quality chances, and goalkeeper Sophia Sasaki has been reliable all year. Sasaki has logged more than 1,800 minutes with a 0.74 GAA, a .727 save percentage, and six shutouts, carrying a heavy workload with 40 saves.
The Maroons had three UAA First Team honorees, led by Harrison-Caldwell, Kerrigan and Jamie Nguyen. Head coach Amy Reifery and her staff were named UAA Co-Coaching Staffs of the Year with Emory University.
This season, these three teams have played three games against each other, as WashU defeated Emory 2-1 on October 26 while tying with Chicago 1-1 on November 8. Emory defeated Chicago 1-0 in Atlanta October 24. WashU and Tufts have one common opponent this season, both defeating MIT 1-0, while Emory and Chicago have no common foes this season.
--JUMBOS--
