MEDFORD, MA (November 1, 2025) -- Tufts University senior forward
Elsi Aires scored in the 63rd minute to break a 1-1 tie with visiting Wesleyan University, lifting the top-seeded and No. 3 Jumbo women's soccer team to a thrilling 2-1 home win in the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Quarterfinals on Bello Field Saturday afternoon.
The victory means that the top-seeded Jumbos will now play host to the NESCAC Semifinals and Finals next Saturday-Sunday, November 8-9 on Bello Field. Tufts will take on No. 5 seed Colby College at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, November 8 in the first semifinal, while No. 3 Middlebury College and No. 2 Williams College will play at 6:30 p.m. in the second semifinal of the day. Colby knocked off Amherst 2-0 Saturday, while Middlebury earned a 2-0 win over Hamilton and Williams defeated Bowdoin College 3-0.
Tufts (13-1-3) will host the NESCAC Semifinals and Finals for the first time since 2019 and the fourth time in the history of the NESCAC Tournament, dating back to 2000. The Jumbos are in search of their second all-time NESCAC title, with the other coming back in 2002.
The Jumbos got out to a quick start on Saturday afternoon, and nearly broke the scoring open just 28 seconds into the game but a
Reese Birch shot off of a cross from the right just missed wide of the left post. The breakthrough would come soon after though, as senior
Aoife O'Reilly scored her second goal of the 2025 season from nearly 30 yards out.
On the play,
Maggie Rogers won a tackle and found an open Birch in the middle. The junior midfielder found O'Reilly on the right wing, and she lofted a shot up over the Wesleyan keeper into the right side netting of the goal for the opening tally of the game.
In the 27th minute, Tufts nearly doubled its lead as
Claire Brady had an attempts pushed away just before Birch nearly scored but her attempt missed left.
Wesleyan (9-4-3) though would get on equal footing in the 37th minute heading into halftime, as Riley Buehler played a perfect cross to Maria Utz for her 10th goal of the game.
Early in the second half, Wesleyan had a good chance on a corner but a loose ball shot was saved by
Gigi Edwards.
Tufts would regain the momentum midway through the period, and nearly jumped on top as a Birch shot was just pushed over the bar by Molly Brumbach in the 56th minute.
The Jumbos finally regained the lead in the 63rd minute thanks to a great fight by Brady. The first-year got a low cross in from
Waverly Sumner, and her first-time shot was blocked, but she regained possession and fed Aires on the edge of the box and she ripped a left-footed shot into the top-right of the goal for the game-winner.
Wesleyan would have the game's next great chance, as Utz pounced on a loose ball in the box and her left-footed shot was stopped with a dive by Edwards to keep Tufts ahead.
That would be the last good scoring chance for Wesleyan, as the Jumbos were able to hold off Wesleyan for the win.
Tufts will be making its 12th appearance in the NESCAC semifinals next weekend, while a win Saturday would give them their fifth NESCAC title game berth.
The Jumbos dominated the stat sheet with a 26-8 shot edge including an 11-5 shots on goal advantage. Tufts held a slight 10-6 lead in corner kicks Saturday, as Edwards had four stops for the Jumbos and Brumback had nine saves for the Cardinals.
Tufts is now 15-17-5 all-time in the NESCAC Tournament, while Wesleyan falls to 6-12-3 in the conference postseason.
--JUMBOS--
