Women's Soccer Takes on Rowan in NCAA First Round Matchup

MEDFORD, MA (November 14, 2024) - The Tufts University women's soccer team received an at-large berth to the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship tournament on Monday, and will now head over to Geneva, N.Y. to play in a first round match against Rowan University on Saturday at 1:30. The winner of the first round game will go on to play the winner of the game between Penn St. - Harrisburg and the hosts William Smith College.

Game Details
2024 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Tournament Homepage
Opponent: vs. Rowan University (13-2-2, 8-1 NJAC)
Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Geneva, N.Y. – Cozzens Field
Weather: Mainly sunny. High 52F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain: 6%
Live Coverage: LIVE STATS – LIVE VIDEO

A Look at the Jumbos (13-3-1, 7-2-1 NESCAC)
The NCAA selection show was held Monday, and the Tufts women's soccer team received some pleasant news as it was announced that they were selected to play in the tournament. The Jumbos last played in the NESCAC Semifinal round, where they were narrowly beaten by Amherst College, 2-1. 

The Jumbos are making their 11th overall and third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, making six tournament appearances since 2017. Last time around they made it to the national semifinal before being knocked out by eventual national champions Cal Lutheran in penalty kicks.

Tufts is led by the 2024 NESCAC Player of the Year, junior forward Elsi Aires. As one of the most potent scorers in the country, Aires has scored 10 goals and five assists through 17 games played.

Aires is joined by All-NESCAC First Team midfielder Caroline Kelly. The junior has proven to be one of the most dynamic players around, and is a lethal scorer from the midfield. Her six goals and four assists are third most on the team, and Kelly will likely pose a grand threat to opposing defenses.

All-NESCAC Second Team award winners Nicola Sommers, Jordan Cushner and Emily Nicholas will look to make an impact as well. Sommers sits second on the team in scoring, with seven goals and five assists. Cushner has been an eternal spark plug at the fullback position, and Nicholas has tacked on four goals and four assists so far in her sophomore season.

In the last three seasons, the Jumbos are 18-1-2 against opponents from outside the NESCAC.

A Look at the Profs (13-2-2, 8-1 NJAC)
Rowan University enters the NCAA tournament for the 16th time in program history. They have a record of 12-13-2 all-time in the tournament. This year is their first appearance in the contest since the 2022 season. They were selected to receive an at-large bid after an early elimination the NJAC tournament, falling in the first round of the conference tournament 2-1 to Montclair State.

The Profs are a high scoring team, totalling 51 goals for an average of 3 goals per game. Most of their scoring comes through two talented forwards, Mackenzie Clement and Olivia Giordano. Clement has racked up 14 goals and seven assists this season, while Giordano trails right behind with 15 goals and three assists and an NJAC Offensive Player of the Year award to boot. Sara Wiedeman, Lianna SanFelice and Simone Pacetti all have more than 10 points as well, demonstrating the depth possessed by the Profs.

Defensively, the Profs have conceded only 13 times, with Calista Burke doing the heavy lifting between the posts. The goalkeeper Calista Burke has earned a 0.79 GAA and a 0.812 sv%.

A Look at William Smith and Penn St - Harrisburg
Just before the Jumbos take the field for a 1:30 pm kickoff, the hosting William Smith Herons (12-3-4) will take on the United East champions Penn St - Harrisburg (10-5-5) at 11:00 am.

The Herons enter the tournament as recipients of an at-large bid, following their elimination from the Liberty League championship tournament, a narrow defeat at the hands of Ithaca College in penalty kicks. The only head coach the Herons have ever had, Aliceann Wilber, is in her 44th season at William Smith, and is looking for her third Division III National Championship after the Herons championship winning runs in 1988 and 2013.

The Herons are a deep team, with their scoring spread out through the roster. Ruth Hotaling leads the team in scoring with five goals and nine assists. Lindsay Ringbloom is next best with six goals and one assist, and just barely leads Marjorie Plants, who has five goals and one assist.

William Smith has conceded only 12 goals this season, and their defensive acumen will be a major factor in their tournament journey.

Penn St. - Harrisburg enters the tournament for just the second time in program history, making their first appearance since their NCAA tournament run in 2021. They won their third conference title and second United East championship this season, after they beat St. Mary's (MD) 4-3 in penalty kicks to claim the conference title. Head coach Brandon West is in his fourth season with Penn St - Harrisburg, and is looking for his first national championship.

Julie Hughes leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and seven assists, just ahead of Diana Pon with nine goals and three assists. Serenity Hill scored eight goals and four assists for the third highest point total on the team, while Katelyn Monette rounds out the scoring leaders with seven goals and one assist.

Sydney Mulka has done most of the goalkeeping, earning a 0.76 GAA and 0.745 sv% in 20 appearances.

If Penn St - Harrisburg defeats William Smith in the opening first round game, and if Tufts defeats Rowan in the second first round game, the two sides would meet for the first time in program history in the second round of the NCAA Championship tournament.

Tufts Record vs. William Smith
The Jumbos and the Herons are infrequent opponents, but their three previous matchups have all come in the NCAA Championship tournament. Interestingly, all three games have been decided by a 1-0 scoreline.

Their first meeting came in 2000, when the Jumbos topped off the Herons 1-0 en route to an NCAA Championship Finals appearance. They went 18 years without a match between them, before clashing in the 2018 NCAA tournament, where the Herons got the better of the Jumbos in a 1-0 win. Their most recent meeting came in 2022, when the Jumbos went out to Geneva and had their season ended in a 1-0 loss in the second round.