HARTFORD, CT (September 24, 2023) – Goals by
Andrea DelGiudice and
Lainie Pearson, and strong fourth-quarter goaltending by
Lydia Eastburn gave the fifth-ranked Tufts field hockey team a 2-0 win at #15 Trinity College today.
The Jumbos remain undefeated with their second win of the weekend. Tufts (6-0, 4-0 NESCAC) won 5-1 at home versus Hamilton College yesterday. The Bantams (5-3, 1-3) lost twice this weekend including 4-1 at Wesleyan on Saturday.
After a first quarter today that saw just one shot attempt by Trinity, the Jumbos scored on their first shot of the day early in the second. On a corner,
Ashley Zolin inserted out to the top of the circle where
Kate Lee set up DelGiudice for a blast into the cage for her fifth goal of the season.
Tufts would take that 1-0 lead into intermission as the teams played a very defensive-oriented first half. Shots were 3-1 Jumbos and Tufts' corner was the only one of the first 30 minutes.
The Jumbos would gain an advantage in the third quarter, earning five corners and taking six shots. Trinity goalie Olivia McMichael made a nice kick save with her right pad on a shot by Tufts'
Gabby Sousa on one corner. However, Tufts would earn a penalty stroke during its last corner of the quarter and Pearson scored with 1:20 on the clock. After scoring her first career goal on a stroke yesterday, Pearson did it again today.
Eastburn would help Tufts keep their lead and earn the shutout with an outstanding fourth quarter. Trinity would have a 6-1 advantage in shots and 3-0 in corners for the final period, but on multiple occasions Eastburn challenged Bantam offensive opportunities and kept the ball out of the cage. On one play, she was able to thwart a couple attempts by Trinity's Katrina Winfield while lying prone on the field. The shutout was her second of the season.
The final statistics had Tufts up 10-8 in shots (7-5 on goal) and 6-3 on corners. Both keepers finished with five saves.
The Jumbos stay busy with a game at second-ranked Babson College on Tuesday.
--JUMBOS--
