Box Score Recap courtesy of Wesleyan University
MIDDLETOWN, CT – A free-position score by Wesleyan's Emily Gretsky cut the deficit to one with 2:27 to play, but #18 Tufts University put the game away with back-to-back goals by Dakota Adamec in the closing seconds as the Jumbos came up with a 13-10 NESCAC win on Saturday.
With the win, the Jumbos improve to 8-6 overall and 4-5 in NESCAC. Tufts clinched a spot in the upcoming NESCAC Championship tournament with today's victory. Wesleyan falls to 4-9 and 1-8.
Saturday's game featured a very even contest that went back-and-forth for all 60 minutes of play, but Adamec helped cease the Cardinals' late rally as she scored two goals at the 0:53 and 0:40 marks to seal the 13-10 victory. Adamec led all scorers with five goals, and added an assist, while Caroline Ross and Annie Sullivan each registered two goals for Tufts. Ross also tallied a game-high two assists alongside teammate Taylor Meek.
Juniors Rachel Aronow and Liana Mathias led Wesleyan with three goals each, while Aronow added an assist, two ground balls and four draw controls. Julia Black scored two goals and dished out an assist, and Gretsky and Becca Phillips each scored a goal. Leah Giacalone led the team with four ground balls, and Nina Labovich made seven saves in net.
The Cardinals went 5-for-8 on free position shots, but Tufts held a 24-15 advantage in total shots.
Mathias put Wesleyan on the board first with a free-position score at the 28:23 mark. Tufts responded with back-to-back goals from Adamec and Ross, respectively, before Black connected with Mathias to even the game at 2-2 with 15:39 to play in the half. The Jumbos regained the lead shortly after on a goal from Cecily Freliech, and off the ensuing draw control, Adamec found Annie Sullivan just 24 seconds later to put the visitors ahead by two.
Wesleyan responded with back-to-back goals of its own, and with 11:15 to play before the break, Aronow made a nifty spin move to get past her defender and dished it off to Black who was in front of the net, tying the game at 4-4. Tufts went on a 3-0 run in less than three minutes on goals from Jenn Duffy, Sullivan and Ross, respectively, before Becca Phillips scored an unassisted marker at the 4:00 minute mark to cut the deficit to two. Neither team would score the rest of the half as Tufts claimed a 7-5 lead at the break.
The opening four minutes of the second half featured four total goals as both teams exchanged scores. At the 26:12 mark, Aronow took advantage of a player-up opportunity and scored on a free-position shot to get within two once again, 9-7. Kate Mackin of Tufts put the Jumbos back up by three at the 17:08 mark before back-to-back scores by Aronow and Mathias, respectively, cut the margin to one (10-9) with 13:02 to play.
With under five minutes remaining in regulation, Adamec and Meek connected for Tufts' 11th goal of the game. Less than two minutes later, Gretsky scored on a free-position shot to get Wesleyan within one, 11-10, but Tufts controlled the tempo the rest of the way and added two more insurance goals in the closing seconds to edge Wesleyan.
Wesleyan returns to the field Wednesday for its 2016 regular-season finale at NESCAC rival Connecticut College. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 pm. Tufts will also conclude its regular-season Wednesday as well and will play at Bowdoin beginning at 7:30 pm.
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