Field Hockey Opens New Season With 1-0 Victory at Wellesley

WELLESLEY, MA (September 4, 2024) - First-year Eleanor Luft scored her first collegiate goal in her first collegiate game as the #6 Tufts University field hockey team took a 1-0 win at Wellesley College in its season-opener on Wednesday night.

The Jumbos finished with a 21-1 advantage in shots (9-1 on goal), but Wellesley had a strong performance defensively led by first-year goalie Maddie Miller. Entering the game for the second half, Miller made six saves in her 30 minutes of action.

Tufts earned five corners in the game and scored on their second. With senior Kayleigh McDonald inserting, the ball went out to senior Lainie Pearson for a shot that was blocked. The ball deflected to Luft on the left side, and she tried to send it back into the middle. However, it deflected back to her again and she shot one between the legs of the goalkeeper with 4:12 on the first-quarter clock.

After a quiet second quarter, the second half started with Wellesley's only shot on goal for the game. From near the end line on the left side of the goal, sophomore Alex Butulis lifted a sharp shot that Tufts junior keeper Lydia Eastburn gloved away.

From there, the Jumbos would dominate the quarter. They had 12 shots, but Miller saved four and many others ran just wide of the goal. Wellesley also defended three Tufts corners successfully in the final three minutes of the frame.

Miller continued her fine play in goal for Wellesley early in the fourth quarter with a pair of stops on shots by Tufts junior Hannah Biccard. Wellesley would have its best quarter of the game in terms of offensive possession, but the Jumbo defense did not allow them to get a shot off.

With the one save, Tufts' Eastburn recorded the fifth shutout of her career. First-year Hannah Simmonds started in goal and made two saves for Wellesley, who dropped to a 1-1 record with the loss.

Head coach Tina Mattera's Jumbos (1-0) won their season-opener for the 11th straight year dating back to 2013.

The sixth-ranked Jumbos travel to play at #8 Williams College in their NESCAC opener Saturday afternoon at 1 pm.