Box Score
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| Nicole Arata picked up her fifth assist of the season on Sunday. |
MEDFORD – The No. 6 Tufts field hockey team scored twice in the first half and then held the lead, picking up a 2-0 NESCAC win over Hamilton on Ounjian Field on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Rachel Hamilton and junior Erin Sanders were the goal scorers for the Jumbos.
With the win the Jumbos improve to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in NESCAC stints. The Continentals fall to 5-4 this season with a 3-3 NESCAC record.
The Jumbos got on the board first as Hamilton scored her third goal of the season just under 20 minutes into the first half. Sophomore Gigi Tutoni got off a shot that Hamilton keeper Julia Booth was able to save, but Hamilton found the rebound and snuck the ball in the goal to give the Jumbos a 1-0 lead.
Sanders would make it 2-0 with her second goal of the year with just about ten minutes left in the first half. The Jumbos drew a penalty corner and senior Annie Artz inserted to junior Celia Lewis, who passed the ball to senior co-captain Nicole Arata. Arata found Sanders in the top left of the circle and Sanders unleashed a rifle that went right into the left corner of the goal.
Neither team was able to put a goal on the board in the second half, but both had a few chances. The Continentals were able to put together a little more offensive pressure in the second half, managing eight shots compared to their one in the first half. But, both defenses played strong, keeping the score at 2-0.
The Jumbos finished with the advantage in shots, 16-9, and penalty corners, 8-4. Booth made 10 saves in goal for Hamilton while her Jumbo counterpart, sophomore Emily Polinski, made six saves in the win.
The Continentals return to play next Saturday when they travel to Amherst for an 11 am start. The Jumbos take the field again next Saturday as well when they make a trip to Middlebury for a 1:30 pm start with the Panthers.
