MEDFORD, MA (April 26, 2023) -- The No. 7 Tufts University women's lacrosse team erased an eight-goal deficit in the second quarter, rallying for an exciting 18-15 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) victory over Bowdoin College in action from Bello Field Wednesday evening.
With the victory, Tufts (12-3, 8-2 NESCAC) clinched the No. 3 seed in the NESCAC Tournament, and will take on Amherst College Saturday at noon on Bello Field in the quarterfinals.
The comeback was the largest of the season for the Jumbos, and the eight-goal rally marked the largest comeback in Tufts program history dating all the way back to 1975. The Jumbos did lead early on as
Margie Carden scored her 42nd goal of the season on a nice feed from
Allie Zorn just 84 seconds into the contest. That would be the last goal Tufts would net until 50 seconds left in the quarter as Bowdoin rattled off seven consecutive goals to make it 7-1.
Emma Joyce scored her first of the day to make it 7-2, but Colleen McAloon netted an unassisted tally with 20 seconds left in the period to make it 8-2 going to the second quarter. Sophia Sudano and Charlotte Howie netted the opening two goals of the second stanza to push the Polar Bears (6-9, 3-7 NESCAC) up by eight with 8:58 to play in the opening half.
That's when the rally would start for the Jumbos, as
Genna Gibbons scored with 6:19 to go in second quarter followed by a goal from
Caroline Conaghan off a nice pass from
Kate Mastrobuono to send the game to halftime with Tufts down six at 10-4.
The momentum would continue into the third quarter, as Tufts scored the first seven tallies of the period with the spurt started by a
Madeline Delaney goal off a feel from Joyce to make the score 10-5. Carden tallied on a free position, followed less than 30 seconds later by another Joyce goal to make it a three-goal deficit for Tufts. Following a timeout by Bowdoin, Joyce kept things going with a free-position goal and Delaney also netted a goal from the arc to pull Tufts to within one with 7:36 to go in the third.
The Jumbos completed the comeback at the 4:04 mark of the third, as Carden was set up by Delaney for her 44th of the campaign to deadlock the game at 10. Nearly a minute later, Zorn netted a goal on a free position attempt to give the Jumbos their first lead since early in the contest at 11-10. Bowdoin battled back with two straight goals to regain a 12-11 lead, but Gibbons tallied her second of the game to even the game at 12 going to the fourth quarter.
Fiona Bundy put the Polar Bears back on top with a free position goal at 10:55 of the fourth, but that lead for the visitors was short lived as Delaney scored 28 seconds later to tie the game one more time. The two teams would exchange empty possessions before Joyce scored the eventual game-winning goal on a great move with 7:01 to go.
Tufts took its first two-goal lead of the game at 15-13 after Delaney scored on a free position attempt, but Bowdoin wouldn't go away as Sudano tallied with 5:05 to go in regulation to make it 15-14. The Jumbos though would put the game away, as Joyce scored two consecutive goals followed by a person-up score from Zorn to secure the win.
Joyce tied a career-high with five goals, adding an assist and eight draw controls, as her seven points were also a career high. Delaney also netted a new career-high in goals with four, establishing a new personal-best with six points. Zorn finished with a career-high four points on two goals and two assists, while Gibbons and Carden each tallied three goals.
Courtney Kaufman made 12 saves in the contest for the Jumbos, adding four ground balls for her 10th win of the season. Tufts was outshot on the night 33-30, while also dropping the draw control battle, 23-14.
Sudano finished with seven points on four goals and three assists, while Bundy added four goals and 10 draw controls in the loss.
--JUMBOS--
