MEDFORD, MA (May 18, 2025) -- The Tufts University women's lacrosse team scored three times early in the fourth quarter, breaking a 5-5 tie to run away from No. 7 Salisbury University before holding on late to earn a hard-fought 8-7 win over the visiting Sea Gulls on Bello Field Sunday in the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Quarterfinals.
With the victory, Tufts returns to the NCAA Final Four for the third time in program history and the first since 2022, where it will take on No. 6 Gettysburg College Friday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at Kerr Stadium on the campus of Roanoke College in Salem, Va. Gettysburg defeated Denison University 16-13 Sunday afternoon.
It was a tight, defensive battle on Bello Field, as the 15 combined goals were a season-low in a Jumbos game but Tufts was able to fend off each rally from the Sea Gulls. Tufts opened the scoring on its first possession, as senior
Margie Carden tallied with the extra man to make it 1-0. A little over four minutes later,
Ella Lesperance scored from
Allie Zorn to make it 2-0, but Salisbury got on the board with 5:16 to go on a Miranda Mears goal to make it 2-1 after 15 minutes.
Carden would find the back of the net off of a nice feed from graduate student
Emma Joyce to start the second quarter, but Salisbury scored three of the game's next four goals to make it 4-4 at the halftime break.
The third quarter started like the first and second for Tufts, as Carden pushed the Jumbos back ahead with her 64th of the season off of a
Kate Mastrobuono goal to make it 5-4. With 2:37 to go in the third frame, Audrey Harrington rolled the crease and netted a far-side shot to send the game to the fourth once again tied at five.
The deciding stretch came early in the fourth quarter, as
Emma Joyce slashed through the Sea Gull defense for her 26th of the year before
Madeline Delaney finished just 22 seconds later to give the Jumbos some breathing room. Zorn would tally an insurance goal off of a Lesperance pass to make it 8-5 with 9:33 to play, but Salisbury wasn't done as Harrington answered 63 seconds later to make it 8-6.
The Jumbos defense would hold on the next three possessions, but Salisbury scored with 12 seconds to go to set up a scramble at the end of the game. On the ensuing draw control, the ball was kicked around but by the time SU picked up the ball there was no time left for a shot as Tufts held on for the win.
The tight low scoring affair saw just 25 total shots on goal, despite the huge 16-3 edge in draw controls for the Jumbos. Carden finished with three goals to pace the Jumbos, while Zorn had two goals and an assist while scoring on her lone free position attempt.
Delaney corralled seven draw controls to go with three ground balls and a goal, while
Elsa Schutt also had four draw controls, two grounders and two shots on goal. The defensive unit of
Nicola Donlan,
Caroline Cromwell,
Kathryn Fernandopulle,
Nicola Sommers,
Emily Leschin and
Genna Gibbons was very strong Sunday, as Leschin tied for team-lead with three ground balls. Gibbons had a caused turnover and two draw wins as well, while Fernandopulle picked up two loose balls.
Jumbo keeper
Pascale de Buren had six stops in net for the Jumbos Sunday in the win.
Harrington finished with a game-high six points on two goals and four assists, while Mears tallied three goals. Paige Ellis had eight saves for the Gulls as well.
Tufts and Gettysburg have played just once prior to Friday's meeting, as the Jumbos defeated the Bullets 16-9 in Gettysburg back on May 23, 2022. Middlebury College and Colby College will join the Jumbos in Salem on the other side of the bracket.
--JUMBOS--
