MIDDLEBURY, VT (October 18, 2025) – First-year
Eleanor Helm scored a goal and set up another, while senior goalie
Lydia Eastburn made eight saves as the #5-ranked Tufts University field hockey team earned a huge 2-1 NESCAC win at #7 Middlebury College today.
With the victory, and Bowdoin College's 4-2 loss at Wesleyan University today, the Jumbos (11-2, 8-1) have clinched the #1 seed for the conference regular-season. It's the eighth-straight victory for the Jumbos. Middlebury dropped to 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the league.
Today was a rematch of last year's NCAA Championship Game won by Middlebury 2-1 in Lexington, Virginia. Tufts' victory today is their second straight regular-season defeat of the Panthers including last year's 2-1 final in Medford.
Tufts did not allow a Middlebury shot attempt in the first quarter today, but could not take advantage of their own two corner attempts and three shots. Middlebury started back-up Thea Rosenzweig in goal, and she came up with two first-quarter saves.
The Panthers switched to regular net-minder Izzy Redzic in the second quarter, when they also showed life offensively earning four penalty corners.
However, it would be the Jumbos who got on the scoreboard in the second frame. Shortly after a
Hannah Murray shot hit the post, Tufts earned a corner. Helm inserted out to junior
Claire Casey just left of the top of the circle. She blasted a shot home with 2:44 remaining until halftime for a 1-0 Tufts lead.
Middlebury would dominate the third quarter statistically, outshooting the Jumbos 10-1 and earning five corners to none for Tufts. Eastburn made five saves in the quarter though, and the Jumbos maintained their one-goal advantage into the fourth.
Tufts would get a key insurance goal early in the fourth quarter. On a restart near midfield, freshman
Ruby Pearson sent a long pass to sophomore
Ellie Wilkins just outside the right curve of the circle. She moved past a defender and led a pass towards Helm who had a step on a defender. Helm deflected it in and Tufts led 2-0 with 11:38 remaining in regulation.
Middlebury would cut the margin to 2-1 three minutes later. With Tufts playing man-down due to a green card, the Panthers earned a corner. During the action, the ball deflected to Emma McCann in the right-middle of the goal area and she fired it in.
The Panthers sustained their offensive pressure. In the final five minutes during Middlebury penalty corner chances, Tufts senior
Camille Clarke had a defensive save – reaching up to bat down a deflected shot – and Eastburn made two more saves.
Though Middlebury finished with 15 corners, the Jumbos defended 14 of them effectively. The Panthers also had a 21-9 advantage in shots (10-6 on goal). Redzik had two saves in her 45 minutes of play for the hosts.
Tufts plays its final non-conference game of the regular-season on Tuesday at UNE.
--JUMBOS--
