MEDFORD, MA (October 18, 2022) -- Junior midfielder
Casey Lam scored two second-half goals, providing some breathing room as the Tufts University women's soccer team knocked off local rival UMass-Boston 4-1 in non-conference action from Bello Field Tuesday evening.
With the win, the Jumbos finished their non-conference regular season slate undefeated, upping their record to 5-0 in games outside the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). The game was tight throughout the opening minutes, as the Jumbos (9-3-1) had sustained pressure but weren't able to breakthrough due to strong goalkeeping from Beacon netminder Maria Spylios.
In the 37th minute Tufts would get on the board on its 12th shot of the opening half, as
Claire Wilkinson worked down the right side and found space to left foot her cross into the box. Junior
Thalia Greenberg was there to meet the service, heading home her seventh goal of the season to put the Jumbos on top. The hosts would outshoot UMass-Boston (5-8-2) 16-0 in the first half of play, while earning all eight corners in the opening stanza.
Tufts would get a little bit of insurance in the 60th minute, as
Elsi Aires notched her third of the season after a nice cross by
Madelyn Silveira into the box. The score came just after Spylios made back-to-back point blank stops to keep her team within one goal. The Beacons got one back in the 76th minute, as a long ball from just inside the midline was volleyed into the back of the net by Kaylee Haynes to make it 2-1.
Less than three minutes later though Tufts would regain its two-goal edge, as Lam tallied positioned herself in the middle of the box and volleyed home a cross from
Jordan Cushner with the outside of her boot to make it 3-1. Lam wasted no time getting her second of the night at 82:45 of the game, slotting home a bouncing set piece service from
Caroline O'Neill to finish the scoring.
The Jumbos outshot their visitors 32-5 for the game, including a 15-3 edge in shots on goal, while earning all 11 corner kicks for the game. Lam finished with a team-high five shots including three going on net, while Greenberg added four shots as well.
Kianna Hill made two saves between the pipe for Tufts, while
Hayley Bernstein started and worked a clean 45 minutes as well in net. Spylios finished with 10 saves in goal for the Beacons. Tufts has now won the last three meetings with the Beacons, dating back to 2015.
The Jumbos will jump back into conference play on Saturday at noon on Bello Field, hosting Middlebury College for Senior Day as well as Play for P.I.N.K Day at Tufts.
--JUMBOS--
