AMHERST, MA (October 9, 2024) - Andrea DelGiudice and Reagan Malo scored third-quarter goals and goalkeeper Lydia Eastburn made a huge save as time expired to lift the #6 Tufts University field hockey team to a 2-1 NESCAC victory at #14 Amherst College on Wednesday night.
The Jumbos improve to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference, while Amherst falls to 6-5 and 2-5 in NESCAC.
The first half went scoreless, but both teams had good scoring chances that were thwarted by defensive saves. Five minutes into the first quarter, after Eastburn had made a save, a second shot by Amherst's Chloe Agopian was batted away by Jumbo defender Kate MacKenzie at the goal line. In the second quarter, Malo's shot during a Tufts penalty corner attempt was stopped by Amherst defender Katie Savino.
Tufts would break the stalemate on a corner early in the second half. The insert by Kayleigh McDonald to Kylie Rosenquest up top bounced off her stick, but Lainie Pearson reached to poke the ball to DelGiudice on the left side. She turned to her backhand and slid a shot past the goalie at 13:27 of the third quarter.
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The Jumbos would strike again with just under five minutes remaining in the quarter. DelGiudice stretched to intercept an Amherst pass near midfield. She sent it up the middle to Hannah Biccard who fired it toward goal from just outside the circle. Malo was there to deflect it in and the Jumbos led 2-0.
Amherst would come out strong in the fourth quarter and close the game to 2-1. During an early corner, Eastburn flashed her right pad to save a strong shot by the Mammoths' Abbey Kays. However, Amherst would get on the scoreboard after Sam Maynard intercepted a ball on the Tufts side. She sent it right to Justin Liguori who fired a perfect long pass to Molly Donegan in front of the cage. With a defender on her, Donegan turned and sent a shot in far side five minutes into the fourth.
Tufts would earn a corner with under five minutes left in regulation and Biccard had a shot saved by Amherst keeper Grace Puchalski. The Jumbos would then have to withstand two great chances by the Mammoths in the final minute. The first came on a rush downfield by Maynard with one minute left. She was able to cut into the circle deep on the right side and sent a ball to the goal front which Donegan could not get a stick on.
Amherst then earned a corner with 7.1 seconds remaining. The insert by Maya Harrington went out to Kate Smith, whose first pass was blocked. Her next attempt got to Maynard right in front, but her deflection was saved by Eastburn and the ball hit an Amherst player's foot to end the corner and the game.
Eastburn finished with six saves for Tufts while Puchalski had two for Amherst. The Mammoths owned a 10-5 advantage in shots though Tufts had a 5-4 edge in corners.
The Jumbos will be in Lewiston, Maine on Saturday to take on Bates College.
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