MEDFORD, MA (November 29, 2023) -- After a long and arduous season for the 2023 Tufts University women's soccer team, the Jumbos have gone on a historic run through the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament and will play in the NCAA Semifinals Thursday, November 30 at 3 p.m. against Cal Lutheran University at Kerr Stadium in Salem, VA on the campus of Roanoke College. Tufts earned their spot in the national semifinals after wins against No. 22 Bowdoin College and No. 6 University of Rochester back on November 18-19 in Rochester.
Game Details:
NCAA Tournament Game Website
Opponent: vs. California Lutheran University (18-1-5)
Date: Thursday, November 30, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Salem, Va. - Kerr Stadium at Roanoke College
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Against Cal Lutheran All-Time
Thursday will be the first meeting between these teams separated by 3,025 miles, as Tufts and Cal Lutheran are about as far apart for two Division III teams as you can get. In fact, Tufts has never played any team from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Cal Lutheran has played one New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) squad before, falling to Williams College in 2017.
A Look At The Jumbos (11-5-4)
Tufts came into the NCAA Tournament as one of the last team's selected as a Pool C bid, and has made the most of it. Coming into the NCAA Tournament, Tufts was one of just three teams since 2000 to make the field with seven wins or fewer as an at-large selection, joining just Wesleyan University this year and Trinity College (CT) in 2022.
The Jumbos 11 wins coming into a NCAA Final Four is the fewest in NCAA soccer history, as Tufts looks for its first women's soccer national title. Tufts earned its way to the national semifinals after earning victories over Franklin & Marshall College 2-1 in the opening round before knocking off The College of New Jersey 3-0 in the second round.
Last weekend, Tufts topped conference foe Bowdoin College 3-2 in the Third Round before topping No. 6 University of Rochester 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Sophomore
Elsi Aires has been on a roll, as she has tallied six goals for Tufts through the team's four postseason games. Teammate
Caroline Kelly has assisted on four goals as well, while
Nicola Sommers and
Thalia Greenberg have added to the scoring load.
Defensively,
Olivia Patz and
Caroline O'Neill have solidified a back line that has allowed just three goals in four games in the NCAA Tournament while first-year goalkeeper
Gigi Edwards has a pair of shutouts including a clean sheet in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
First-years
Emily Nicholas and
Maggie Rogers have stepped right into the starting lineup and flourished, helping the Jumbos to their third ever trip to the NCAA Final Four. Tufts made the semifinals in 2000 and 2005, while earning a spot in the title game in 2000.
Jordan Cushner has also been a constant getting forward down the left flank, posting three assists on the year.
Senior
Erin Duncan has been clutch and has been strong on the right flank for Tufts with seven points this year, and first-year
Waverly Sumner has been a key spark off the bench.
Aoife O'Reilly, Madelyn Silviera and
Casey Lam have also been key reserves for Tufts all season.
Tufts is the final NESCAC team playing women's soccer this season, after the Jumbos finished eighth in the regular season standings while going 3-4-3. That hasn't mattered though as the Jumbos have hit their stride at the right time.
Projected Starting XI: Edwards, Cushner, Patz, O'Neill, Rogers, Nicholas, Kelly, Greenberg, Sommers, Aires, Duncan.
A Look At The Regals (18-1-5)
he Regals defeated Carleton 3-2 in the first round Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 to move to sectional play. They defeated Hardin-Simmons 1-0 and advanced past No. 1 Christopher Newport 1-1, 4-3 on penalty kicks to make their first-ever Final Four appearance.
The Regals boast six All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) players with Avery West tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. Ally Fisicaro, Eden Quiroz, and Isabella Veljacic joined West on the First Team and Savana Durr and Adriana Maroney were Second Team.
Veljacic leads the offense with nine goals and four assists. Ashley Escamilla is next with six goals and two assists and Quiroz has five goals and four assists. The offense is balanced and can threaten from anywhere with Elisa Shott having four goals and four assists and West having four goals and three assists. Maroney and Caitlyn Winter have two goals each and 11 more Regals have one goal. Anna Evenson keeps the offense moving with eight assists.
The defense has been superb with Durr, Fisicaro, Brynn McMahon, and West leading a stellar back line. Also seeing plenty of time on the defense is Madie Fahey and the Regals have 14 shutouts.
The team has the best start in program history and has 18 wins for the first time since 2012. Logan Duford and Kelsey Slaugh have split time in goal. Duford is 10-1-3 with Slaugh at 7-0-1. Cal Lutheran was receiving votes in the final regular season United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll.
Projected Starting XI: Slaugh, McMahon, West, Fisicaro, Durr, Maroney, Quiroz, Evenson, Shott, Winter, Veljacic
The Other Semifinal
No. 5 ranked Messiah is making their 15th Final Four appearance in program history, looking for their 11th national title game appearance as the Falcons take on another perennial powerhouse in No. 2 Washington University of St. Louis (WashU). The two teams square off at 6 p.m. Thursday night after the Tufts-Cal Lutheran game.
The Falcons enter the Final Four with a 21-2 overall record on the season. The Falcons entered the tournament on a hot streak winning their last 13 games on the season, including a 4-1 win over York in the MAC Commonwealth Championship game to earn an automatic bid. During the Falcons current 17-game winning streak, the Falcons have been dominant, outscoring their opponents 57-5.
WashU enters the Final Four with a 17-1-3 overall record in 2023. The Bears earned their 16th UAA Title in program history and eighth in the last nine years with a 0-0 tie against the University of Chicago to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The Bears had a dominant 2023 regular season winning 14 of their first 15 games and did so without allowing a goal. The Bears only allowed two goals during the regular season, both of the goals came in the Bears only loss of the season against University of Rochester on Oct. 29. WashU is its fifth Final Four appearance, winning a national title in 2016 in penalty kicks against Messiah.
WashU and Messiah have met in the NCAA Tournament five times since 2009, including the national final in 2009 and 2016. Messiah and the Bears also battled to a 1-1 draw in 2015, with WashU advancing penalties. Of their previous four meetings, three have ended in a draw while Messiah earned a 1-0 win in the 2009 title game.
Up Next
The winners of the two semifinals will meet Saturday afternoon in the 2023 NCAA Division III Tournament title game at noon at Kerr Stadium in Salem.
--JUMBOS--
