MEDFORD, MA (April 19, 2025) -- The No. 2 Tufts University women's lacrosse team scored three goals in the final 27 seconds of the first half, turning an 8-6 lead into a five-goal edge at the break, using that momentum to earn a 20-9 win over No. 13 Amherst College in league action from Bello Field on Senior Day.
The Jumbos (13-1, 8-1 New England Small College Athletic Conference) honored their 11 seniors prior to the game, but it was the visiting Mammoths that controlled the start of the game as Emily Petersen tallied twice in a 3-0 run over the first 4:53 of the contest.
Tufts refocused after a timeout, an graduate student
Madeline Delaney started a four-goal run over the final 9:18 of the opening stanza capped by a
Grace Hammond goal to make it 4-3 Tufts after the first frame.
The momentum continued into the second quarter, as Tufts leading scorer
Allie Zorn netted a man-down goal followed by a free-position tally to put the Jumbos up 6-3. Amherst scored the next two goals to trim the Jumbos' edge to 6-5, and stayed within two for most of the remainder of the quarter.
Late in the quarter, Amherst had the bal with 30 seconds to play working on a clear but senior
Genna Gibbons forced a turnover, picked up the loose ball and streaked in one-on-one to score her second of the season with 27 seconds to give Tufts a three-goal lead.
The Jumbos won the ensuing draw control and needed just 16 seconds to add to their lead as
Kate Mastrobuono fired a show through traffic to make it 10-6. Tufts wasn't done though, controlling the draw and charging towards goal. Sophomore
Grace Hammond found
Schuyler Lloyd, and her pass to
Margie Carden was missed by everyone at the buzzer but the ball wasn't touched and went into the goal for the fluky goal to make it 11-6 at the half.
That sequence would give the Jumbos juice coming out of the intermission, as they scored the first four goals of the second half including two from Carden in 54 seconds to make if 15-6. Carden would score another just before the third quarter break to make it 16-7.
Midway through the fourth quarter Tufts would earn its first double-digit lead of the game with 8:37 to go in regulation on a
Sophia Claps goal to up the edge to 18-8. Claps netted two more to get her hat trick in less than six minutes as the Jumbos cruised to the league win.
Carden celebrated her Senior Day with four goals and an assist, adding a ground ball in the victory, while Zorn also had four goals and an assist. Mastrobuono had a season-high four points on two goals and two helpers, and Claps chalked up two caused turnovers to go with her three goals on three shots.
Hammond had three points, setting up two goals while scoring once and corralling two draws, and Delaney had two tallies and two ground balls. Gibbons had an all-around great day with a goal, five grounders, four caused turnovers and nine draw wins.
Defensively,
Kathryn Fernandopulle scooped up four ground balls and was added to the draw team to record two draw controls as well.
Pascale de Buren was sensational in net for the Jumbos, making a season-high 11 stops in the win.
Petersen and Bridget Finley each had three goals apiece, while Mia Raven had nine draw controls and two points on a goal and assist for the Mammoths.
Tufts will finish the regular season Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. on Bello Field, hosting Bowdoin College in NESCAC action.
--JUMBOS--
