LANCASTER, PA (May 18, 2024) -- The No. 4 Tufts University women's lacrosse team had 14 players find the score sheet on Saturday afternoon, rolling past Denison University 22-13 in the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Third Round at Franklin & Marshall College's Shadek Stadium.
With the victory, Tufts (17-3) will move on to take on the host and No. 3 Diplomats at 2:30 p.m. in the NCAA Quarterfinals with a trip to the NCAA Final Four in Salem, VA on the line. Franklin & Marshall (18-3) knocked off Roanoke College 14-11 in the first game of the day.
The Jumbos wasted no time forging a large lead in the first quarter, as Tufts netted six of the game's first seven goals following a goal from junior
Caroline Conaghan at the 3:22 of the opening stanza. First-years
Emily Leschin and
Schuyler Lloyd capped the first quarter with back-to-back goals to take an 8-2 edge into the second quarter.
The offense continued into the second quarter, as the Jumbos tallied five more times highlighted by a man-up goal from sophomore
Elsa Schutt to take a 14-5 lead into the intermission. Tufts lead would balloon up to as much as 12 at 18-6 on another from Schutt, and the final three goals of the game came from seniors
Grace Frerichs,
Caroline Sapir and
Lucy Hodge to put a bow on the win.
Junior
Ella Lesperance finished with a team-high five points on three goals and two assists, while senior
Madeline Delaney was dynamic with three goals, an assist, a caused turnover and two draw wins. Lloyd posted two goals and an assist with two draw wins, and Conaghan also recorded two scores and an assist.
Schutt finished with a team-high seven draw controls and three points on two goals and one helper, while
Emma Joyce also tallied twice. First-year
Sophia Claps set up two goals, and
Emily Leschin booked a goal, an assist and three draw controls as well.
Defensively,
Kathryn Fernandopulle tallied two caused turnovers and two ground balls along with one goal, and
Pascale de Buren made eight saves and had two ground balls. Tufts outshot Denison 42-27 on the game, while holding a 23-16 edge in draw wins.
Anna DeVuono finished with five goals in the loss for the Big Red (15-6), while Merrill Rollhaus also scored four times for Denison.
Tufts advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the fifth time in program history and the fifth straight season, dating back to 2019. Tufts is looking for its fourth trip to the NCAA Final Four Sunday.
--JUMBOS--
