MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Undefeated and third-ranked Tufts earned a 2-1 victory at Wesleyan in NESCAC field hockey action Wednesday night.
The Jumbos scored both goals off corners in the first half to take a 2-0 lead, then held off the Cardinals after the hosts scored a fourth-quarter goal. Tufts improves to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference, while Wesleyan falls to 2-2 and 1-1.
Tufts took a lead while Wesleyan was down a player due to a green card late in the first quarter. After earning their first corner of the evening,
Mia D'Angelo inserted right to
Reegan McCluskey who blasted a shot inside the right post with 3:55 remaining.
Into the second frame, the Jumbos were down a player due to a green card. Wesleyan earned back-to-back corners, but they couldn't get a shot off.
Less than four minutes later, Tufts would capitalize on a corner making it 2-0. The insert by D'Angelo was passed along the right curve of the circle until the ball was sent inside to
Lainie Pearson. Her whack at it was headed wide of the left post when
Carolyn Thompson reached to knock it in for her first of the season with 2:54 on the second-quarter clock.
The third quarter was played to a stalemate, with neither team attempting a shot nor earning a corner.
The Cardinals would make it interesting with a goal off a corner five minutes into the fourth. The insert went to Diana Schwarz outside the top of the circle. She dribbled into the right side and sent a pass into the middle where Helen Deretchin would sweep it in to cut Tufts' lead in half.
Wes would get another corner three minutes later, but they could not net the equalizer.
The game was largely played equally throughout, with shots finishing 5-2 for Tufts and corners favoring Wesleyan 5-4. Tufts'
Sam Gibby and Audrey Pace of the Cardinals each made one save in goal.
The Jumbos will play their fifth straight game on the road Saturday at Hamilton in a noon start. Wesleyan is at #5 Trinity on Saturday at 11.
Â
