Box Score
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First-year Hannah Park added a goal and an assist to the Tufts rout
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MEDFORD - With a snow/ice mix falling on Bello Field for the duration of the game, the 10th ranked Tufts field hockey team opened 2012 NCAA Championship play on Wednesday afternoon with an 8-0 victory against Castleton in the first round.
Junior Emily Cannon (Atkinson, NH) and senior Missy Karp (Berwyn, PA) both scored twice for Tufts (15-2), which advanced to the NCAA second round at William Smith College on Saturday. The Jumbos will face the host Hurons (16-3), who received a first-round bye in the tournament. Game time is to be announced.
Castleton, which showed fight by earning nine penalty corners in the second half, finishes its season with a 17-5 record.
Tufts, making its seventh appearance in the NCAA's, surged to a 5-0 lead by halftime. Senior Kelsey Perkins (Barrington, RI) scored first, depositing a rebound into the cage just 1:37 into the game. Less than 90 seconds later, Cannon scored her first of the game unassisted and the Jumbos were off and running.
At 15:08 during a scrum in front of the Castleton net, Jumbo first-year Hannah Park (Baltimore, MD) flipped a close shot over keeper Jessica Galatioto (Queensbury, NY) for a 3-0 margin. Junior Stephanie Wan (Morgan Hill, CA) tallied her first of the season during a penalty corner attempt for Tufts with 6:57 on the clock. Cannon made it 5-0 when she converted a penalty stroke with 1:25 to go until halftime.
Tufts had advantages of 20-3 in shots and 8-1 in corners for the first 35 minutes.
The snow did not let up and the field was covered for the beginning of the second half. The teams played on, with Jumbo junior Chelsea Yogerst (San Diego, CA) upping the hosts' lead to 6-0 with a goal assisted by sophomore Maggie Chapman (St. Louis, MO) at 41:33.
Karp tallied the next two, at 49:03 and at 63:09 to finish the scoring. Park had an assist on the first goal for a three-point day, while first-year Alison Rolfe (East Dennis, MA) recorded her first collegiate point with an assist on the second. The eight goals are the most scored by Tufts in 13 all-time NCAA games.
Castleton, playing in its second NCAA game all-time, worked hard to spoil the shutout in the second half. They put five shots on goal, including two by leading scorer Kealy Chipman (Bellows Falls, VT). However, Tufts junior Katie Stuntz (Mamaroneck, NY), who had entered the game at halftime, made five saves to preserve the shutout. Sophomore Brianna Keenan (Greeland, NH) started for the Jumbos and had two saves in the first half. The shutout was the eighth in 17 games for Tufts.
Galatioto finished with 18 saves for the Spartans. Castleton also made five defensive saves, including two each by sophomore Karissa McCoy (Waterboro, ME) and junior Alex Sears (Cornwall, VT).
Game boxscore
Game Photos courtesy of Kelvin Ma/Tufts
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