MEDFORD, MA (May 16, 2025) -- The No. 1 Tufts University women's lacrosse team will play host this weekend to the 2025 NCAA Tournament Sectional Rounds this weekend, as the Jumbos will battle No. 10 Pomona-Pitzer College Saturday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. in the NCAA Third Round. Tufts will also host No. 14 St. John Fisher and No. 7 Salisbury University in the opening contest of the day at 10:30 a.m. on Bello Field. Tufts is coming off a 17-5 win over the University of Scranton in the NCAA Second Round on the road.
Game Details
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Opponent: No. 10 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (18-2)
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Location: Medford, MA - Bello Field
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Tufts vs. Pomona-Pitzer, St, John Fisher & Salisbury
The Jumbos have played all three teams that will be in Medford this weekend, as Tufts last played Pomona-Pitzer back in 2022 in the NCAA Third Round when the Jumbos handed the Sagehens an 18-10 defeat on Bello Field. The Jumbos have played Salisbury University three times prior to this weekend, with the Sea Gulls holding a slight 2-1 edge though Tufts defeated SU 14-13 in overtime back in 2023 down in Maryland. In the previous two meetings, Tufts fell to Salisbury including a 14-13 loss in the national title game in 2021. Tufts is 2-0 against St. John Fisher all-time, with a pair of two-goal wins. Tufts defeated STJU 20-18 back in 2009 in their first meeting before besting the Cardinals 12-10 in the national semifinals in 2021.
A Look At The Jumbos (18-1, 9-1 NESCAC)
The Jumbos come into the weekend with wins in their last six games, including last week's 17-5 NCAA Second Round win over Scranton. In that game, seniors
Margie Carden and
Caroline Conaghan each scored three times with classmate
Ella Lesperance added three helpers. The Jumbos got some good news this week, as six players earned USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American honors, led by graduate student
Madeline Delaney on the top team.
Allie Zorn was a Second Team honoree, while Carden, Lesperance,
Genna Gibbons and
Pascale de Buren were all Third Team picks.
Tufts is currently 9-0 at home this season, and has won its last 11 overall while going 17-1 at home over the past two seasons. Furthermore, Tufts is 8-0 all-time in the NCAA Tournament on Bello Field dating all the way back to the 2009 season.
The Jumbos come into the weekend leading many categories in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) including clearing percentage, goals per game, scoring offense and margin, shots per game and fewest turnovers committed per game. Tufts leads the nation with a stellar 91.4 percent clearing percentage, which goes hand-in-hand with the fact it has turned the ball over just 12.37 per game, also best in Division III. Tufts offensive unit has been deep, potent and efficient this season, as it ranks sixth in the country with 17.53 goals per game. The Jumbos are also 11th nationally in scoring defense, while also ranking first in draw controls per game in the NESCAC with over 17 per contest.
Individually, Zorn leads the squad with 75 total points while Carden is right behind her with 72 points for the season. Lesperance ranks first in the NESCAC in assists with 36 on the year, while both Zorn and Conaghan are in the top five in shooting percentage, making over 54 percent of their shots.
In goal, de Buren ranks eighth in the country in goals against average at 6.94 per game while her 52.1 save percentage is 13th nationally. Gibbons leads the NESCAC in draw controls with 6.74 per game, and
Madeline Delaney has also added 4.58 draw controls per game to go with 32 goals.
The Jumbos are in their 10th NCAA appearance, and are looking to get back to the NCAA semifinals next week in Salem, VA at Kerr Stadium on the campus of Roanoke College for the fourth time in program history. The two previous seasons that Tufts won the NESCAC title, the Jumbos did earn a spot in the national title game.
A Look At The Rest of the Field
Pomona Pitzer (18-2)
The Sagehens come to town after dominating Colorado College 23-10 in the NCAA Second Round last weekend in Claremont, California. The Sagehens were led by Fiona Lewis who had a monster game with eight goals for her career-high. Lewis also moved into #2 all-time for career goals in Pomona-Pitzer Lacrosse history. River Buechner had four goals while Taylor Glanville and Shoshi Henderson also netted hat-tricks with three, Sydney Landauer and Caili Cross with two and Caroline Welch with one. PP ranks first in most categories in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), while ranking third in Division III in scoring margin at 11.80 per game. The Sagehens have the nation's second-best offensive unit at 18.65 goals per game, while firing 30 shots per game, tops in D-III. Pomona-Pitzer is ninth in caused turnovers in the country with 14.60 per game, and also have allowed just 6.85 goals per game, 13th in the country. Pomona-Pitzer was won nine straight, falling to Colorado College March 20 while also dropping a 16-6 decision to Williams College March 26. Last season, Pomona-Pitzer advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight following wins over George Fox and Ithaca College before falling to No. 1 Middlebury College.
St. John Fisher University (19-0)
The Cardinals are the lone undefeated team left in Division III, as the Fisher knocked off John Carroll last weekend 21-5 in the NCAA Second Round. Four players recorded six points or more for the Cardinals, who reached 350 goals for the season in the victory, a program record. Sophomore Chelsea Lopata led the team with eight points on four goals and four assists, while junior Kaley Griffin (five goals, one assist) and seniors Mary Fiorentino (four goals, two assists) and Emma Biel (four goals, two assists) all had six points.
Junior defender Maddie Lowney became the third player in program history to reach 100 career caused turnovers with four in the contest. The Cardinals have the nation's top scoring defense, allowing just 4.84 goals per game while also ranking third in scoring margin at 13.58 per game. SJF ranks second in clearing percentage at 90.5 percent, while its 28.37 points per game are third-most per contest in Division III. Fisher had six players with 50 or more points this season, led by the 74 from Sydney Carpenter, while Emma Biel also has a team-high 52 goals. Lowney has 73 draw controls, 53 ground balls and a team-high 42 caused turnovers, and goalkeeper Kaylee Gadol has allowed just 4.95 goals per game, best in Division III. Fisher is making its 13th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, including every year under head coach Linda Michele.
Salisbury University (15-4)
Salisbury enters the weekend with a 15-4 overall record including wins in both Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) matchups against Christopher Newport and Mary Washington during the regular season. The Sea Gulls posted three triumphs over top 15 foes in 2025, including home wins over fifth-ranked William Smith and 12th-ranked TCNJ and a road victory at ninth-ranked York (Pa.). Audrey Harrington was Sunday's hero as the Sea Gulls emerged from a hard-fought battle with the Haverford College Fords in their debut to the '25 dance, earning a 9-8 win to reach the regional round. Tied 4-4 at halftime, SU fired four third-quarter goals to take an 8-4 lead before the Fords found a four-goal fourth-quarter rally of their own to tie the tilt at eight with just under two minutes left. Miranda Mears has tallied a team-high 44 goals this season and added two helpers, tying her career-high with five player-up finishes while setting a new career mark for points (46). Harrington has piled up a team-high 69 points on 32 goals and 37 assists while adding 16 ground balls and securing the C2C's Offensive Player of the Year nod. She currently holds a tie for 32nd in goals per game across all dancing DIII student-athletes. Paige Ellis is the Gull's starter in goal, as she has tallied a 13-4 record in goal, making 114 saves at a 44.9 percent clip. She tallied five stops in her first career NCAA start and winning decision over Haverford. Abby Fleishell has turned an impressive sophomore season into a junior campaign worthy of Defensive Player of the Year praise, totaling 39 ground balls and causing 32 turnovers while trailing only Julianna Ott with 56 draw controls across her 19 starts.
Out of Town Schedule
Saturday, May 17
UChicago at Middlebury - 11:30 AM
Stevens at Colby - 11:30 AM
Denison at Franklin & Marshall - 1 PM
Wesleyan vs. Rowan at Colby - 2:30 PM
York vs. William Smith at Middlebury - 2:30 PM
Gettysburg vs. Washington & Lee at F&M - 4 PM
--JUMBOS--
