Box Score 
NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Tufts University Jumbos women's soccer team (7-6, 4-5 NESCAC) defeated the Connecticut College Camels (9-3-2, 5-3-1 NESCAC) on Sunday at Harkness Field in Connecticut. The Jumbos won 2-1 in the second overtime, after being down 1-0 for 88 minutes of play. With this victory, the Jumbos clinched a spot in the NESCAC women's soccer postseason tournament.
The first Jumbo goal of the game came at 88:41 in regulation, off of the head of sophomore Nic Sommers (pictured). This was Sommers' second goal of the season, and her second in two games. The second goal for Tufts came at 102:52 by forward Liz Reed, continuing her history of late-game heroics for the Jumbos and walking the game off in the second overtime period with her 10th goal of the season.
Tufts maintained solid field position in the early minutes of the game, keeping the pressure up in this high-stakes game for NESCAC positioning. Junior Maddie Pero had the first shot on goal of the game at the four-minute mark, which sailed just high over the crossbar. The Camels and the Jumbos traded shots, with the Camels maintaining strong field position during the latter half of the first period. Around the 41-minute mark, Camel junior Mya Johnson cut through the Jumbo defense and fired a strike for Connecticut's closest attempt of the first half, but it sailed just left. A strong defensive effort by the Jumbos allowed them to go into the half without allowing a score.
The Jumbos started out the second half maintaining position in the Camel side of the pitch, but two shots by Reed and Stephanie DiLeo around the 46-minute mark failed to see net. A foul on Tufts at 51:48 gave the Camels a chance to take the lead with a penalty kick. Connecticut junior Jackie Puda's kick slid just under the diving Jumbo goalie Kaelin Logue to put the Camels up 1-nil.
The Jumbos had an opportunity to tie the game at the 54-minute mark, with a strike by senior Kylie Metcalf, but the ball soared just left to keep the Jumbos off the board. A foul on Tufts gave the Camels another opportunity to score off a free kick, but Connecticut failed to convert it. At the 64-minute mark, Connecticut's Mya Johnson raced past two Tufts defenders to set up a strong shot from right outside the box, but the ball sailed just right.
At the 68-minute mark, Tufts' Reed had a golden opportunity to tie it up for the Jumbos. She received the ball off of a free kick from midfield, just a few feet away from the six-yard box, and fired off a shot, but the ball sailed just high over the crossbar.
The Camels managed to keep the ball away from the Jumbos in the waning minutes of the game. As the clock wound down, the Jumbos regained possession. In the last minute and twenty seconds of the game, a long Jumbo kick by Callie Scala sailed towards the box, and a brilliant header by Nic Sommers found net to send the game to overtime, tied at 1-1.
In the first two minutes of the first overtime, the Jumbos and the Camels traded shots, with nothing finding net. The Jumbos came out firing in the last four minutes of the first overtime period. Reed hit a header right near the Connecticut goal at the 96-minute mark, with the Jumbos poised to celebrate, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar. Strong defensive play by both teams kept the game tied heading into the second overtime period.
At the 102-minute mark, Pero crossed the ball into the box over a sailing Camel defender to Reed. She fired off a shot right outside the six-yard box, which sailed under the diving Connecticut goalie to put the Jumbos up 2-1, an emotional walk-off victory for Tufts. The victorious Jumbos stormed the field in celebration, jumping for joy after a stunning road win at Connecticut.
The Jumbos outshot the Camels 17-12, outshooting them 7-1 in the two overtime periods. The Camels had five saves to two Jumbo saves, and four corner kicks to Tufts' three.
The game began with a moment of silence for Madie Nicpon, the Tufts women's lacrosse player who tragically passed away on October 17.
The Jumbos will travel to Bowdoin for their final match of the regular season on Tuesday at 3:00 PM. The Camels will travel to Wesleyan for their final game on Tuesday at 3:00 PM as well.
Written by Max Chow-Gillette, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
