Field Hockey Closes Regular-Season With 5-1 Victory at Bowdoin

BRUNSWICK, ME (October 28, 2025) - The Tufts University field hockey team scored its most goals against Bowdoin College in over 35 years tonight as the Jumbos finished their regular-season with a 5-1 road victory against the Polar Bears.

The Jumbos, who already had the #1 seed in NESCAC locked up, improved to 13-2 overall and finished with a 9-1 mark in the conference. The 13 regular-season wins matches last year as the most for the Jumbos since the 2018 squad won 14. The nine conference victories are Tufts' most also since 2018.

Tufts is on a 10-game winning streak entering the post-season. They will host Amherst College in the NESCAC Quarterfinals on Saturday at Ounjian Field with a noon start.

Bowdoin falls to 9-6 and 5-5 NESCAC with tonight's loss. The Polar Bears' are the #7 seed in NESCAC, with their quarterfinal opponent still to be determined pending all of the conference's final results tonight.

Claire Casey led the Jumbos with two goals tonight, while Sophie Brants scored one and set up two. The Jumbos nearly had their first shutout against Bowdoin since 2017 before the Bears scored with 2:18 remaining in regulation. Jumbo keeper Lydia Eastburn made six saves tonight.

Casey's first goal came on a penalty stroke, as she improved to four-for-four on strokes this season just 3:24 into the game for a 1-0 Tufts advantage. A shot by Jumbo Reagan Malo hit a defender on the goal line to earn the penalty shot.

Bowdoin put heavy pressure on the Jumbos in the second quarter, earning seven penalty corners and taking six shots (five on goal). However, Casey made two defensive saves on corners and Eastburn had three saves as the Jumbos kept the Polar Bears off the scoreboard.

Tufts then added to its lead with five minutes to play in the half. Hannah Biccard bolted down the right side of the field and fired a pass into the middle of the circle where Hannah Murray's deflection jumped up into the air. Brants batted it into the cage and the Jumbos led 2-0.

After defensive play highlighted the majority of the third quarter, the action picked up late. That included a third Tufts goal when Brants inserted out to Casey who was just left of the top of the circle. Her shot went untouched through the defense for a 3-0 Tufts advantage with four minutes remaining in the third.

Eastburn made two more saves late in the third quarter as Bowdoin threatened, including a shot by Hannah Balmelli that was just wide of the left post.

Eleanor Helm scored her 10th goal of the year in the middle of the fourth quarter to put Tufts up 4-0. After inserting on a corner, she positioned herself at the left post and tapped home a shot by Hannah Biccard.

The fifth Jumbo goal came when Brants' shot was saved and Riley Schmidt scored on the rebound with 3:51 remaining in regulation.

Bowdoin avoided the shutout during a corner as Clara Noyes set up Mackay Bommer. 

With their big second quarter, shots finished in favor of Bowdoin 13-9 including 9-8 on goal. Noyes put five shots on goal in the game. The hosts also led in corners 10-3. Lauren O'Donald had three saves in the Bowdoin cage.