BIDDEFORD, ME (October 11, 2023) – University of New England junior goalie Dawn DeWeese-Moss and the Nor'Easter defense stymied the Tufts University offense, then the hosts scored on an overtime penalty stroke to upset the seventh-ranked Jumbos 1-0 in non-conference field hockey action on Wednesday night.
DeWeese-Moss made 11 saves in the game as the Jumbos out-shot UNE 19-6 (11-4 on goal). The Nor'easters also got a huge defensive save by Lauren Green on a fourth-quarter shot by Tufts'
Meghan MacDonald. Moss had her final save in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter against Tufts'
Claire Gavin, who made a brilliant rush that started near midfield in which she got past two defenders to blast a shot from close in. However, Moss went down to make the save with her pads and the game went to overtime.
Two minutes and 20 seconds into the extra period, UNE – who hadn't taken a shot since the first period – earned a penalty corner. Tufts keeper
Lydia Eastburn made a pair of saves on UNE's Micaela Jacobs, but during the corner a foul on the Jumbos led to a penalty stroke for the Nor'Easters. Makena Valentine lifted the shot high into the left side of the cage for the victory.
Tufts dropped to 8-3 with the loss, while UNE improved to 6-8. The Nor'Easters have now won three in a row.
The hosts would finish the first 15 minutes of the action with a slight edge statistically (3-2 in shots, 1-0 in corners). However, Tufts would begin to control play in the second quarter. They had three corners in the last 2:22 of the half, but couldn't capitalize.
The Jumbos picked up where they left off and dominated the third quarter. DeWeese-Moss made two of her four third-quarter saves on close attempts by Tufts'
Rachel Scrivanich. Tufts out-shot the Nor'Easters 8-0 in the third, but the game remained scoreless.
Into the fourth, UNE established some early possession, but the Jumbos were soon back to dominating. Green made her defensive save during a Tufts corner with 5:01 on the clock. Tufts had four shots and two corners in the period, but with Moss's great save against Gavin in the final seconds the game went to OT tied 0-0.
Corners finished 5-2 in favor of Tufts. Eastburn made three saves in the Jumbo cage. This was the second straight Wednesday in which the Jumbos lost on an overtime stroke, including 2-1 last week at home to Wesleyan.
Tufts has an important NESCAC weekend at home coming up with games against Bates College on Saturday and Williams College on Sunday.
--JUMBOS--
