Tufts, Middlebury Draw at 1 -1 In NESCAC Game

MEDFORD - Senior captain Maddie Pero's fourth goal of the season for the Jumbo women's soccer team helped earn a 1-1 NESCAC tie with Middlebury College on Senior Day Saturday.

On a sunny afternoon at Bello Field, it was a hard-fought battle between the sixth-place Jumbos and the third-place Panthers throughout the entirety of the game. The Jumbos were able to grab an early lead thanks to Pero. Her shot came off of a loose ball that she tracked down and took herself to the top of the box. She then launched a low missile into the left corner, past Middlebury goalkeeper Sydney Poppinga, putting the Jumbos up 1-0 in the first half.

The Jumbos would hold on to that lead through halftime, as they would head into the second half with a 1-0 lead.

Tufts wouldn't relinquish that lead until late in the game, when Midd's Carolyn Days set up Ella Gagnon in the 73rd minute for a header goal to knot up the game at one apiece. The goal was the last of the day for both sides, as the match eventually ended in a draw.

The Jumbos had a few great scoring chances to go along with their one goal. In the first half, Tufts had a chance off of a corner kick in which defender Caroline O'Neill lofted a ball into the middle of the box, and Juliana Rosen was able to deflect the ball into the net for what would have been a 2-0 lead for the Jumbos. However, the goal was waved off because Rosen had knocked over Poppinga in the process, committing a foul before the shot. 

In the second half, Rosen was able to set up Elsi Aires for a scoring chance in the 60th minute. Aires launched a nice shot over Poppinga, but the shot careened off the crossbar and went out of play.

The defensive effort from the Jumbos was stellar once again, allowing very few opportunities for the Panthers to score throughout the game. Tufts led in shots (12-8), corner kicks (8-3), and committed more fouls in the game (8-6). Middlebury and Tufts had an equal amount of saves in the game at three.

Tufts (9-3-2, 4-3-2 NESCAC) looks to get back in the win column for their final regular season game on Tuesday, when they have another in-conference game against Bowdoin at 3 pm. The Panthers (10-3-1, 5-3-1 NESCAC) will look to grab a win on Tuesday as well, as they return home to face Williams College at 3 pm to close out their regular-season.

Written by Lucas Wlodarczyk, Athletic Communications Intern