Box Score MEDFORD - The Tufts women's lacrosse team continued their successful start to the season with a dominant 18-5 victory over the (0-1) Endicott College Gulls to start the year off 2-0. Despite bone-chilling temps on Bello Field, the Jumbos played hot, controlling the majority of the contest. Kate Mackin led the charge with six goals, while sophomore midfielder Emily Whitney notched two scores for Endicott.
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| Kate Mackin has scored nine goals in two games for the Jumbos |
The first 18 minutes of the game were in Tufts' favor as the Gulls struggled to dispossess the Jumbos. After Endicott's failed clear attempt in their own half, Caroline Ross scooped the ball up for Tufts and found an open Mackin who buried it in the net to give Tufts a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Minutes later, Mackin made a wise play on her free position shot and dished to Annie Nero who then passed it right back to Mackin who had continued her run through the zone. The sophomore Mackin whipped the ball past Gull sophomore goalkeeper Maura Grady.
Tufts continued to roll through the beginning of the first half. Ross took a free position shot that she ripped into the upper right corner for a 5-0 Jumbo lead. Midway through the half, a successful clear attempt turned into a goal for the Jumbos when Lindsey Walker sprinted out on the fast break and found Mackin in the center who then drew the defender and made a dump pass to Calie Nowak who put the ball home. During the 7-0 run, the Jumbos won every draw control.
15:29 is where the Tufts offensive would end however, as the Gulls came storming back with their own 5-0 run. Four of the five scores were on free-position shots, two of which came from Whitney. The other goal, which came with just over six minutes to play, was a pretty crease roll tally from sophomore middie Meghan Lennon. Tufts' final shot attempt of the stanza came with a whole 12 minutes to play and the Gulls had the Jumbos on their heels as the half ended 7-5.
Coming into the second half, the Jumbos halted whatever momentum Endicott may have gathered, as they ousted the Gulls in the frame. Mackin again came out firing and put goals eight and nine on the board for the Bos. Then, Caroline Kingsley went to work and fed two dimes to Lindsey Walker and Taylor Meek who both quick-sticked the ball into the netting. It was freshman Meek's first career goal.
Freshmen Jenn Duffy and Tori Rudnicki also put away their first career Jumbo goals.
The Jumbos did not falter in the second half like they did in the first half and built an insurmountable lead. Speedy senior Ellie Clayman played well in the midfield for the Gulls, but the Jumbos would prove to be too much.
Clayman converted one of her four shots, while teammate Whitney scored her two goals on free position attempts. Lennon led the Gulls with four draw controls.
Ross put away four tallies, handed out one assist, and led the Jumbos with six draw controls, while Nowak recorded a hat trick. Annie Nero and Caroline Kingsley got the job done behind the cage as they each registered two assists.
The Jumbos controlled the circle, winning 18 draws to Endicott's 7, while also causing 8 of the Gulls' 12 turnovers.
Grady had nine saves on the afternoon, while freshman Hannah Wiltshire made her collegiate debut in net for the Jumbos, making five stops.
Tufts takes Bello again next Monday in the second game of a four-game home stand. They'll face Wheaton at 3:00pm.
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