MEDFORD, MA (March 29, 2025) -- The No. 2 Tufts University women's lacrosse team got a dominant performance from its midfield Saturday afternoon, using a 9-0 midway through the game to pull away from No. 5 Colby College in a 17-6 win for the Jumbos on Bello Field in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action Saturday.
The midfield was stellar from start to finish for the Jumbos, as the Mules (7-1, 4-1 NESCAC) focused more on the potent attack from Tufts. In turn, the middies from Medford tallied 10 of the team's 17 goals while adding a dominant 20-7 edge in draw controls to slant the field towards the hosts. With the extra possession, the Jumbos would finish the game with a slanted 38-16 edge in shots including a massive 25-6 lead in shots on goal. Furthermore, the midfield ride of the Jumbos played havoc with the Mules, who finished just 13-of-22 on clear attempts.
In the early going of the game, the teams exchanged goals over the first 11 minutes of the game before sophomore
Grace Hammond and
Emma Joyce each tallied twice over the final four minutes of the first stanza to give the Jumbos a 5-2 lead. The run continued into the second quarter, as
Madeline Delaney netted a man-up goal from
Margie Carden at the 11:55 mark of the period to extend the lead to 6-2.
Colby struck back with two straight goals to make it 6-4, but the hosts responded with two quick goals from senior
Ella Lesperance and junior Ella Schutt to make it 8-4. A key sequence in the game came right before halftime, as Colby scored with 16 seconds left in the half but Tufts got the ensuing draw control and scored in just 11 seconds thanks to a great feed from Schutt to Delaney to make it 9-5 at the intermission.
That late second-quarter goal would be deflating for the Mules, as Tufts came out of the halftime break and scored the next eight goals including a fourth-quarter hat trick by
Allie Zorn to put the game away. Tufts has now won the last four matches with Colby and eight of the last nine against the Mules.
Zorn finished with three goals and two assists on the day, adding a ground ball and caused turnover, while Lesperance also had four points on two goals and two assists. Carden had a season-high three assists on the game, while Delaney finished with three goals, five draw controls and a grounder.
Schutt was more involved offensively Saturday with three points on a goal and two helpers, picking up two draw controls as well, while sophomore
Sophia Claps also had a strong showing with a goal, assist, caused turnover and two ground balls.
Senior
Genna Gibbons continued to dominate in the draw circle as she finished the day with 11 draw wins and a ground balls. She now leads the NESCAC in draw controls with 67 on the season. Senior
Kathryn Fernandopulle had two caused turnovers and two loose ball pickups for Tufts, while
Nicola Sommers also had two grounders on the game.
Pascale de Buren was not tested much, but made three saves in game for the Jumbos.
Tufts has now gone the first nine games without allowing more than seven goals in a game.
Colby College got two goals and an assist from Julia Jardina in the loss.
The Jumbos will head out on the road on Wednesday, traveling to Williams College for a 5 p.m. road NESCAC game in Williamstown, MA.
--JUMBOS--
