Box Score GRANTHAM, PA. - First-year Jenn Duffy and junior Caroline Ross scored two goals apiece helping the Tufts Women's Lacrosse team take an 8-2 halftime lead on their way to a 14-7 victory at Messiah College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship on Sunday afternoon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt5n-Y5xxRw
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| NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year Emily Wright registered an outstanding afternoon for the Jumbos |
Head coach Courtney Farrell's Jumbos (12-6) move on to the third round where they will play Franklin & Marshall, which won 21-3 versus Rhodes in the second round today. The location and time of the NCAA third-round game is still to be announced.
Playing in their first NCAA contest since 2011, the Jumbos scored the first three goals. Duffy netted the first two in the opening five minutes and Ross added another less than a minute later.
Back-to-back goals by Messiah's Liz Brennan assisted by Madi Brunk closed the gap to 3-2 at the mid-point of the first half.
However, the Jumbos would out-score the Falcons 5-2 over the final 16:13 of the period. Five different Jumbos scored goals during the span - Ross, senior Kali DiGate, senior Lindsey Walker, junior Brigid Bowser and first-year Taylor Meek. Ross and Meek both had assists during the run.
Tufts out-shot Messiah 16-9 in the first half and had a 10-6 advantage on groundballs.
When Ross scored her third to open the second half, the Jumbos led 9-2. The teams would trade essential goals over the final 24 minutes. Tufts led by as many as eight goals, 12-4, when Ross scored off a Meek assist with 7:12 on the clock.
Ross was tremendous for the Jumbos, finishing with five goals and three assists for eight points. Bowser tallied three times with an assist. Defensively, Tufts allowed just 12 shots on goal. Senior stand-out Emily Wright caused five turnovers and won six draw controls. The Jumbos caused ten of the Falcons' eighteen turnovers. First-year goalie Hannah Wiltshire made five saves and led Tufts with six groundballs.
The Jumbos ended Messiah's 11-game winning streak. Brennan and Stephanie Athens had two goals each for the Falcons (14-4), who won the Commonwealth Conference championship. They were making their fifth NCAA appearance overall.
The Falcons finished with a 13-10 edge in draw controls with Ida Ehrhardt winning three. Brunk's three groundballs led the hosts, while Tufts won the overall ground ball game 20-16.
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