AMHERST, MA (October 15, 2024) -- The No. 21 Tufts University women's soccer team trailed 1-0 at the break at No. 2 Amherst College Tuesday, but two second-half tallies lifted the Jumbos over the Mammoths for a huge 2-1 road New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) win at Hitchcock Field.
The win was the first for the Jumbos over Amherst since the 2022 season, and it pushed Tufts into the No. 2 spot in the NESCAC standings with two league games to play in the regular season.
Tufts is now tied with Williams with 16 points at 5-2-1, and the Jumbos have now won their last five contests which is the longest win streak in the league. The Jumbos also clinched a spot in the NESCAC Tournament with the win.
The host Mammoths (7-1-3, 4-1-2 NESCAC) didn't waste anytime getting on the board, as Sophia Haynes scored her second goal of the season with help from Patience Kum at 13:45 of the game to give host Amherst the lead.
Tufts would start to gain its traction after the goal, with three decent shots coming close to go including near-misses from
Emily Nicholas and
Caroline Kelly.
Amherst would regain the momentum late in the period, but four late corner kicks by the Mammoths yielded just one shot prior to the halftime intermission. Amherst outshot the Jumbos 8-3 in the first 45 minutes, while earning all of the game's seven corners.
The second half saw the Jumbos come out with renewed vigor, and the quick start for Tufts ended up in a equalizer as
Nicola Sommers headed in her fourth goal of the season off of a cross from
Waverly Sumner in the 59th minute.
Late in the contest, Amherst was pushing for a game-winner with five shots in the final 15 minutes but nothing came to fruition. With just under three minutes to go,
Caroline Kelly had a free kick whip just wide of the right post in what seemed to be the final chance.
It wouldn't be the final attempt though for the Jumbos, as a clearance from Tufts put the Jumbos into transition mode. Junior
Elsi Aires would grab possession right in front of her bench, 35 yards from goal with under a minute to go. With some space, Aires unloaded a shot that carried over the goalkeeper's head and into the right side netting for the game-winner. It was the seventh goal of the year for Aires.
The Jumbos would end up being outshot for the game 15-10, though Tufts held a slight 6-5 lead in shots on frame. Amherst held a decided 10-2 edge in corner kicks, as sophomore goalkeeper
Gigi Edwards made four stops for the game for Tufts.
Kelly led the Jumbos with three shots, while Sumner posted a team-best two shots on goal.
Amherst was paced in the shot column by Haynes and Caroline Coletti's three shots apiece, and Mika Fisher made four saves in the loss.
Tufts will be back in action on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., hosting Middlebury College on Bello Field in more NESCAC play.
--JUMBOS--
