MEDFORD, MA (November 15, 2025) -- The No. 3 ranked Tufts University women's soccer team scored 2:52 into the game and never looked back, pouring in seven goals in the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament First Round to knock off Lesley University 7-0 in action from Bello Field on the campus of Tufts.
With the victory, the Jumbos advance to the NCAA Second Round to take on New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) foe Wesleyan University Sunday at 1 p.m. after the Cardinals drew with NYU but won the penalty kick shootout, 5-3 to get by the Violets.
Tufts took the lead in the third minute of the game thanks to the left foot of first-year
Claire Brady, who netted her third tally of the season, driving home a layoff pass from senior
Aoife O'Reilly for the score. The Jumbos (15-1-3) doubled in the 23rd minute as junior midfielder
Reese Birch scored her 10th of the year, banging in a loose ball off of
Waverly Sumner to make it 2-0. It was the third straight game with a goal for Birch.
Less than four minutes later, senior
Elsi Aires pushed in a loose ball in the box for her 11th of the season at 26:48 of the first half to up the Jumbos edge to 3-0. That's where the game would stand at halftime, as Tufts outshot its guests 19-2 in the first frame.
The goals continued to come for the Jumbos in the second half, as Brady doubled her daily total with another score, lofting a right-footed shot from the right wing up and over the Lynx goalkeeper at 52:46 to make it 4-0. Sophomore
Audrey Cromett got on the scoreboard in the 62nd minute with a great half-volley off of a clearance header by Lesley for her first score of the season.
Freshman
Jordyn Miller added tapped in a loose ball off of a shot from junior
Hannah Batt for her second score of the season at 71:52 for the sixth goal of the game for Tufts, while senior
Camille Lu scored on an empty net off of a
Emma Finnerty shot from the right wing to finish the day's scoring.
Tufts outshot Lesley 35-2 on the day, while posting a 13-1 edge in corner kicks for the contest. O'Reilly had a team-high two assists for the Jumbos Saturday, as 11 players posted at least one point in the win. Junior
Gigi Edwards tallied her eight shutout of the season Saturday as well as her 18th of her career.
The Jumbos moved into the NCAA Second Round for the fourth straight season, and will look for their third Sweet 16 appearance in the last 18 seasons Sunday at 1 p.m. on Bello Field against Wesleyan.
--JUMBOS--
