Two Seed Tufts Takes on Amherst in NESCAC Semifinals

MEDFORD, MA (November 6, 2024) - The No. 8 Tufts University women's soccer team heads down to Middletown, Connecticut to take on the four seed Amherst College as the number two seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinals on Saturday afternoon. They will play in the second game of the day, as top seed and hosts Wesleyan take on the six seed Colby earlier in the morning.

Game Details
2024 NESCAC Tournament Homepage
Opponent: vs. No. 4 Amherst College (10-1-5, 5-1-4 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Middletown, CT – Jackson Field
Weather: Sunny. High 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph, Chance of Rain: 0%
Live Coverage: LIVE STATS – LIVE VIDEO


Against Amherst College All-Time
The Jumbos are 20-22-7 against the Mammoths all time, with a 4-6 record in their last 10 matchups. Tufts got the better of Amherst earlier this season, when a late strike from Elsi Aires stunned the hosting Mammoths in the final second of the game to give the Jumbos a 2-1 victory. A scrappy goal scored by Nicola Sommers had tied the game earlier in the second half, and two scores were enough to power the Jumbos past Amherst, who scored midway through the first half. 

A Look at the Jumbos (13-2-1, 7-2-1 NESCAC)
The Jumbos enter this weekend as the highest scoring team in the NESCAC and in Tufts program history with 49 goals. They also know how to move the ball around, with the 17th best assists per game mark in the NCAA Division III. They have reached the conference semifinal round for the first time since 2022, when they also faced off against Amherst.

The Jumbos high-flying offense is powered by the relentless efforts of the three primary forwards. Junior Elsi Aires leads the team in goals and assists, with 10 scores and five helpers so far this season. She is joined by graduate student Nicola Sommers, who has employed a devastating mix of speed and physicality to the tune of seven goals and five assists. Sophomore Waverly Sumner is an unmovable object on the wing, equal parts helping on offense and defense. Her two goals and three assists have made the Tufts front line a force to be reckoned with.

The forward play isn't the only strong area the Jumbos have to boast, their midfield swallows up possession, and distributes to the forwards with ease. Sophomore Emily Nicholas has four goals and four assists under her belt so far this year, which when coupled with junior Caroline Kelly's six goals and four assists makes for a positively lethal scoring duo from the midfield. Sophomore Reese Birch provides stability in the midfield, using her advanced field vision to dish the ball out and maintain possession through difficult situations. She also has four goals and three assists to her name, rounding out a potent midfield in terms of both offense and defense.

The back line for Tufts has had a solid year, boasting a 0.75 goals against average to this point in the season. A large part of the opposition's difficulty to score has been the Jumbos ability to limit shots. Center backs Lena Sugrue and Caroline O'Neill pair up perfectly in the middle of the defense, as they use great levels of physicality to enforce their will on the opposing forwards. Jordan Cushner and Anna Griffin are the quintessential modern fullbacks, not only playing stone wall defense on the outsides, but also willing to go forward and assist the attack when needed. The mix of strength and speed makes the Tufts defense one of the most dynamic and flexible in the NESCAC.

Goalkeeper Gigi Edwards has had a solid year so far, playing to a 0.82 goals against average and making 59 saves. Her efforts were needed in the quarterfinal round last weekend, as she made a great save across her body to deny Hamilton the tying goal. Her five shutouts are third most in the NESCAC currently.

A Look at the Mammoths (10-1-5, 5-1-4 NESCAC)
The Mammoths enter Saturday's NESCAC semifinal unbeaten in their last five games. Their only loss of the season came at the hands of the Jumbos on Oct. 15, but they managed to play out to a 3-0-2 record in their last five matches. They currently hold the number 18 spot in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll, falling from the number two spot, which they held from week two to week six of the 2024 season.

The Mammoths boast a defense that will be difficult to break down. They have conceded only eight goals so far this season, with their denial of shooting opportunities leading the way to that defensive success. Amherst has only allowed 111 shots to be attempted by their opposition, with only 57 of those attempts landing on target. Goalkeeper Mika Fisher has played to a stellar 0.54 goals against average and a 0.857 save percentage has made her one of the leading shot stoppers in the conference. The Mammoths defense, to their credit, makes life easier on Fisher by preventing shots in the first place.

On the flip side of the pitch, the Mammoths have shot the ball most frequently in the NESCAC, with 329 shot attempts so far this season. That is 20.56 shots per game. However, they have been slightly less accurate than the Jumbos, with 161 shots on goal to Tufts' 164. 

They have a deep lineup with many players capable of scoring. Patience Kum leads the team in total points with four goals and eight assists, while Abby Schwartz trails just behind with six goals and three assists. Caroline Coletti is the leading goalscorer this season for the Mammoths, with seven goals to her name. Precious Novidzro is another potent scorer from the midfield, with three goals and four assists to her name this season. The Jumbos defense will have to limit the shots the Mammoths offense fires their way.

Head coach for Amherst, Jen Hughes, is in search of her sixth NESCAC Championship, and first since 2023 as the Mammoths look to avenge the loss from earlier this season.

The Other Semifinal
The number four ranked and top seeded Wesleyan University (13-0-3, 7-0-3 NESCAC) will host the six seed Colby College (10-4-2, 4-4-2 NESCAC) in the first semifinal game on Saturday. They will kick off at Jackson Field at 10:45 AM.

Wesleyan has had an unprecedented season, starting in the preseason when they were not included in the preseason rankings. In fact, they would not appear on the rankings until week four of the season, and have since shot up the chart into fourth place. A defense-first team, the Cardinals have allowed the fewest goals in the conference, with only five scores against them. Their defensive success can be chalked up to allowing very few shots against. 111 shots were attempted against Wesleyan, and only 60 of those shots would be on target. 

The few shots that do get through to the goal are usually saved by Molly Brumbach, who has made 55 saves on 60 shots on goal so far this year. 

Katie O'Connell drives the offense, with her 16 points leading the team. Her four goals and eight assists so far this season will be difficult for Colby to contain.

Colby arrives in the semifinal round after an overtime upset against Williams last weekend. They have reached the NESCAC semifinal for the first time since 2006, and are eager to continue to make some noise. They enter the weekend as the second highest scoring team in the NESCAC with 43 goals. They have also only conceded 14 goals so far this season. 

Forward Abigail Jarvi is tied for the second best goalscorer in the NESCAC, with her eight goals leading the Mules. Catherine Watrous sits just behind her, with seven goals and an assist so far this year. Much of Colby's scoring came in a 9-0 win at St. Joseph's Maine, an 11-0 win versus Thomas College and a 6-0 win versus Husson University.

The Mules are a sound defensive team, having allowed only 14 goals. A 0-3 loss to Amherst was their largest margin of defeat this season. The Mules are a mixed bag, with strengths in every facet of the game, but a few weaknesses, like their scoring ability. They will need quite the effort to get in front of the stout Wesleyan defense. In late October, the Mules matched up well with the Cardinals, losing a narrow game by just 1-0.

Up Next
The winners of the two semifinals will meet on Sunday afternoon in the NESCAC Championship Final at noon on Jackson Field.