Field Hockey to Play for NESCAC Title After Another Shootout Victory Over Williams

MIDDLEBURY, VT ( November 9, 2024) - For the third straight game, the Tufts University field hockey team won by shootout as the Jumbos got past Williams College 3-2 (2-1 in the shootout) in an outstanding NESCAC Championship semifinal game at Middlebury College today.

Tufts (15-2) will go for its third NESCAC title tomorrow at noon against Bates College. The Bobcats stunned host and #1 seed Middlebury in today's other semifinal 2-1.

The Jumbos trailed Williams 2-1 entering the fourth quarter today. Then on a corner early in the fourth, Tufts' Lainie Pearson settled the insert from Kayleigh McDonald and Andrea DelGiuidice put her shot inside the left post to tie the score at 2-2.

Tufts had dominated most of regulation, finishing the four quarters with advantages of 22-6 in shots and 10-3 in corners. Eph goalkeeper Ellie Smith made 14 saves in the first 60 minutes helping sending the game to overtime.

Williams would turn the tide and possessed the edge in the first overtime period. However, Tufts goalie Lydia Eastburn stepped up and  made three saves in the period including one on Madeline Rowland who was alone in front with 14 seconds left.

Tufts would earn three corners in the second overtime, but could not capitalize. With that, the Jumbos went to their third consecutive shootout including their regular-season finale against Bowdoin College and in the NESCAC Quarterfinals against Amherst College.

For the third straight shootout, DelGiudice scored on Tufts' first attempt. Eastburn had defended the first Williams try, but Eph Claire Colvin scored to tie the shootout at 1-1. Eastburn and Smith would successfully defend the next two shots by each team before Hannah Biccard scored to put Tufts up 2-1. On the fifth Williams attempt, Eastburn gloved a low shot and then the eight-second time limit expired before Williams' Meaghan Boehm could score on the rebound. That ended the round with Tufts securing its third shootout win in a row.

Colvin had scored first to give Williams (14-3) a 1-0 lead at 8:56 of the first quarter. Entering the circle at the left curve, Colvin got a stick on a ball from Laura Ryan. As it rolled across the middle of the circle, Eastburn came out to make a play on the ball and it eluded her. Colvin caught up to it and sent a shot into an open cage for an Eph lead.

The Jumbos would tie the game on a corner late in the first quarter. The insert by McDonald out to DelGiudice was sent left to Eleanor Luft. She quickie moved it over to Gabby Sousa on the right curve and she blasted a shot in with just 16 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Tufts dominated most of the second quarter, but Smith made six saves to keep it a 1-1 game. Williams rallied late, and scored on a corner to take a 2-1 advantage into the half. On the corner, a shot up top from Pilar Torres found Kaela Smith at the right post and she scored with 1:09 on the second-quarter clock.

The third would be the only quarter without a goal, leading to the fourth where Tufts earned three early corners before DelGiudice tied the score with her 15th goal of the year.

The Jumbos would finish the game ahead statistically by wide margins in shots (27-11) and corners (13-4). Eastburn made seven saves in the Jumbo cage and Smith had 16 in all for Williams.

Tufts is in the NESCAC final for the eighth time and will try to add to their conference championships won in 2009 and 2016.