MEDFORD, MA (May 17, 2025) -- The top-ranked Tufts University women's lacrosse team scored 14 first-half goals, cruising to a 16-8 win over visiting and No. 10 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament on Bello Field Saturday.
With the win, Tufts (19-1) will now battle No. 7 Salisbury University Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in the NCAA Quarterfinals for a shot to head to Salem, Va. next weekend for the NCAA Final Four. The Sea Gulls (15-5) defeated previously unbeaten St. John Fisher University 10-5 in the opening game of the day.
Tufts wasted no time taking a lead it wouldn't relinquish, as graduate student
Madeline Delaney netted her 33rd goal of the season off of a crisp feed from
Ella Lesperance to opening the scoring just 49 seconds into the game. Only 29 seconds later, junior
Elsa Schutt finished a nice pass from senior attack
Margie Carden for her 19th of the season to double the Jumbos' lead.
After Pomona-Pitzer (18-3) got on the board with a Taylor Glanville goal, Tufts went on a 10-goal run including a four-goal spurt to finish the first quarter capped by the 59th and 60th goals of the season by Carden, both assisted by junior
Allie Zorn. The second quarter started with another Delaney goal, followed by back-to-back scores from Zorn to make it 9-1 with 12:13 to go in the first half.
Sophomore
Sophia Claps netted a man-up goal, while tallies from Carden and classmate
Kate Mastrobuono finished a run of six goals in the first 5:32 of the second quarter as Tufts led 12-1.
The Sagehens scored twice to make it 12-3, but sophomore
Grace Hammond scored from Lesperance before
Neta Leschly tallied just before the break to make it 14-3 at halftime.
The third quarter would see only a
Maddy Charest goal for Tufts with 29 seconds to go in the period, while
Emma Yale scored off of a nifty feed from
Sadie Dodson to finish the scoring for the Jumbos.
Carden finished with three goals and two assists for the game, adding a grounder and caused turnover. Zorn had four goals on two points and two assists, while Delaney recorded three goals and three draw controls. Senior
Caroline Conaghan recorded a goal and an assist, while 11 total Jumbos found the back of the net. Senior
Kathryn Fernandopulle picked up three ground balls to go with a caused turnover, and Leschly also forced two turnovers while scooping up two ground balls.
Tufts got a game-high eight draw controls from senior All-American
Genna Gibbons, as Tufts posted a 17-9 edge on the draw circle.
The Jumbos also got all three goalkeepers in the game Saturday, as
Pascale de Buren made four saves in a half of play to earn the win. First-year
Devon Chipman stopped seven shots in just 24 minutes of action and
Sophie Powless also made one save.
Tufts outshot the Sagehens 35-25 for the game, and scored on five of its 12 free-position shots.
Caili Cross had two goals and an assist for PP, and Caroline Welch netted a pair of scores as well for the Sagehens.
Tufts will battle the Sea Gulls for the fourth time in program history Sunday, as Tufts has gone 1-2 against Salisbury all-time. Tufts earned an 11-10 win back in 2023 in Maryland, as Sunday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams in Medford.
--JUMBOS--
