Box Score MEDFORD - The Jumbos stopped a four game winless skid with a resounding 4-2 victory over the the Hamilton College Continentals. Jess Capone and Brooke Fortin, the team scoring leaders, notched two goals apiece, while Mariah Harvey-Brown tallied her seventh assist of the season as the Jumbos won their first NESCAC contest since their 3-1 victory over Colby back on September 13th.
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| Brooke Fortin scored her sixth and seventh goals of the year in the Jumbo win |
In a game that featured the top two teams in shot percentage in the league, Hamilton at 15.4% and Tufts at 14.2%, a high-scoring, fast-paced game was expected. The Jumbos and Continentals engaged in an eventful and back and forth first half that included three goals.
Play started off sloppy for Tufts and allowed Hamilton to dominate the first ten minutes of the stanza. The Continentals won two early corners that they almost converted into goals. Off Becca Rees's foot, the corner landed on Hannah Withiam's head near the top of the 18 and she directed it at goal where her teammate Morgan Fletcher was positioned. Fletcher tried to redirect the ball on net, but it sailed on her and flew out of danger over the goal.
Minutes later Withiam had another good look on goal, but Eileen McGarry stoned the attempt. The Continental barrage continued as Amanda Becker and Ali Clarke had two threatening chances on net, but both shots went high.
The Hamilton attack injected some urgency into the Jumbos and they broke out of their sluggish start. Fortin worked hard for some space down the left flank and lofted a ball past the far post where Nikki Blank ran after it and was able to win a corner kick for the Jumbos. Carla Kruyff sent a beautifully struck ball that dropped right onto the had of Jess Capone who headed hard through the ball for the first goal of the game and her seventh on the season.
Just over ten minutes later, Hamilton won a free kick near the low right side of the box. Rees took it and passed it on the ground into the 18 to a streaking Kreider who sprinted from the top of the box and struck a hard shot into the back of the net.
Katja Dunlap and Rachel Hirsch played a nice one two combination on the left side and Hirsch passed across the top of the six yard box to Darby Philbrick who was left unmarked. She one-timed it inside the near post to give the Continentals a 2-1 lead going into the halftime break.
The Continentals created the first dangerous chance of the second half when Kreider sent a good low cross on the ground to the far post, but it skittered just wide befrore any Continental could get a foot on it.
After that near chance, the Jumbos became the aggressor, connecting passes and playing more fluidly than they did in the first half.
Mariah Harvey-Brown was working hard deep in the right corner and was able to create enough space to get off a gorgeous service to a waiting Fortin who headed it on goal. The close-range header bounced off Hamilton goalkeeper Rachel Cooley and into the net to knot the score at two. It was Harvey-Brown's seventh assist of the season, whch ties her for first in the conference
Just minutes later, Kreider had a great chance to take the lead back, but her shot was saved by McGarry.
With just over 20 minutes to play, Harvey-Brown made a fantastic run down the right of the midfield line taking on defenders with pace. She was able to win a free kick on the right side of the top of the 18. Kruyff stood over it and placed her kick towards the far post. It looked like it was going to bounce just wide out of bounds but
Alexa Pius made the play of the day as she reached the ball just before it went over the endline and headed it back into play. It rolled to Fortin who was hovering just inside the 18. She blasted it on net and Cooley mishandled it leaving the ball loose in the air. Capone ran onto it making sure its destination was the back of the net. Her seventh goal of the year gave the Jumbos a 3-2 advantage.
Hamilton upped their offensive attack in an attempt to even it up. Victoria Freeman beat her defender deep in the right corner and dribbled along the endline. She passed inside to Kreider's feet, but her one-timed shot sailed high.
Despite the Continental charge, Tufts continued to push. Fortin found herself with the ball well outside the box on the left side of the field. She caught new Hamilton goalkeeper Emily Dumont off her line and floated a shot up and over her into the goal for her seventh goal of the season and a crucial insurance score.
The Jumbos gained a much-needed victory that keeps them in the NESCAC postseason hunt. It was the first time the Jumbos had scored more than three goals since their 10-0 win over Suffolk back on September 23rd. Tufts will ride this mometum into next Wednesday for a vital regular season finale with Bowdoin that could decide the Jumbos' tournament fate. Kickoff in Brunswick, Maine is at 3:00pm.
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